一位 30 歲女性詢問懷孕期間補充葉酸的益處，最優先的衛教重點為何？
A 30-year-old female patient asks about the benefits of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. What is the priority teaching point?
- AReduces the risk of gestational diabetes降低妊娠糖尿病的風險
- BDecreases the likelihood of morning sickness減少晨吐的可能性
- CPrevents neural tube defects in the fetus✓ 正解預防胎兒神經管缺陷
- DIncreases birth weight of the infant增加新生兒出生體重
葉酸（Folic acid）是一種維生素 B 群，在 DNA 合成與細胞分裂中扮演關鍵角色。懷孕初期（尤其是受孕前後至懷孕第 28 天）是胎兒神經管（Neural tube）閉合的關鍵期。若缺乏葉酸，胎兒極易發生神經管缺陷（Neural Tube Defects, NTDs），如脊柱裂（Spina bifida）或無腦症。因此，鼓勵備孕婦女及孕婦補充葉酸是臨床衛教的優先事項。
Folic acid is a B-vitamin that plays a key role in DNA synthesis and cell division. The early period of pregnancy (especially from before conception through the 28th day of pregnancy) is the critical window for fetal neural tube closure. Folic acid deficiency markedly increases the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida or anencephaly. For this reason, encouraging folic acid supplementation in women who are planning to conceive and in pregnant women is a top priority in clinical patient education.
美國婦產科醫學會（ACOG）建議所有育齡婦女每天攝取 400-800 mcg 葉酸。台灣臨床衛教內容相似，但在美國醫療體系中，基層護理師更常主動在產前檢查中詢問葉酸攝取狀況並提供衛教單張。