Prevalence and determinants of uptake of folic acid in peri-conceptional period in a rural lower-middle-income country, Ghana.

Folate is a vitamin B-related substance needed by expectant mothers during the period right before and after conception (peri-conceptional period) to help protect foetuses against neural tube defects (NTDs). Despite efforts to promote the peri-conceptional uptake of folic acid (FA), adherence remains low. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of peri-conceptional FA uptake among childbearing women in northern Ghana.