EVERY woman who’s trying to get pregnant knows, or at least is supposed to
know, that folic acid supplements are a good idea. They will protect her baby
from developing spina bifida and other neural tube defects—rare diseases,
but ones that can cause devastating disability.
Now a study from Sweden has found that folic acid tablets have a curious
side-effect: they appear to make women more likely than usual to have twins
(see “Acid test”).
This may not seem important, until you realise that twins have an
increased risk of developing cerebral palsy and of dying in the…
