As you mentioned folate is very important during pregnancy as well as vitamin B 12. The pregnant woman's blood volume increases to meet the needs of pregnancy as the fetus grows rapidly in the womb. Therefore, the woman needs to consume 400-600 micrograms of folate each day to support these needs (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). An adequate intake of Folate can decrease the risks of the fetus developing neural tube defects. Other than folate intake, what are some other factors that may contribute to neural tube defects?