Vitamin given to pregnant women to prevent neural tube defect:

Supplements of Folate given in appropriate dose before conception can result in a significant reduction in the incidence of Spina Bifida, and other neural tube defects. ADDITIONAL READING ON FOLATE DEFICIENCY: DNA synthesis indirectly requires Folic acid ( folate required for conversion of dUMP to dTMP, leading to decreased thymidine, which is required for DNA synthesis) In Folic acid deficiency DNA replication and thus cell division are affected. The cytoplasm of folate deficient cell grows at a normal rate, but cell division is delayed. So abnormally large cells are formed. This leads to megaloblastic anemia. Rapidly dividing cells e.g. bone marrow, intestinal mucosa are affected.