Early pregnancy should be supplemented with folic acid, a water-soluble vitamin named for its high abundance in green leaves. As one of the vitamins essential for the growth and reproduction of the body’s cells, folic acid is also an essential trace element for the healthy growth and development of the fetus. Women who are planning to get pregnant should start taking folic acid during pregnancy preparation and should not stop until the first trimester of pregnancy. Because a deficiency of folic acid in the mother will result in a lower weight of the newborn and increase the chance of neural tube defects in the baby, it is recommended that women of childbearing age take 400ug of folic acid supplements daily during pregnancy preparation to prevent the formation of neural tube defects in the fetus. Folic acid supplementation may be less effective if taken after pregnancy, and adequate supplementation can prevent 70% of neural tube defects in newborns. Folic acid can also prevent other congenital defects, such as preventing cleft lip and cleft palate, as well as heart defects and other congenital malformations.