Folic acid added to flour to prevent birth defects in Wales

Flour will be boosted with folic acid to protect hundreds of babies against serious disabilities every year. But daily supplements are still vital, urges Wales’ top doctor.

A new law will require non-wholemeal flour to be fortified with folic acid from the end of 2026.

This will help prevent around 200 neural tube defects in babies every year.

Neural tube defects affect the brain, spine and spinal cord from developing properly in the womb.

This can cause life-limiting spinal conditions like spina bifida or anencephaly.

Before becoming pregnant and in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, women are advised to take folic acid supplements to protect their baby against serious defects.

But around half of pregnancies are unplanned, and experts say only some women take the daily tablets.

Adding folic acid to flour-based foods – like bread – will help reduce the number of neural tube defect affected pregnancies and improve the general health of the population.

Calcium, iron and some B vitamins are already added to flour in the UK.

Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Sir Frank Atherton said:

The Welsh Government is committed to giving children the best, healthiest start to life.

Fortifying flour with folic acid is a simple and effective way to reduce neural tube defects and make a real difference to so many lives. 

But it’s important that women who are pregnant or may become pregnant continue to follow the advice to take a daily folic acid supplement.

Taking 400 micrograms of folic acid before and in the first 3 months of pregnancy is a vital step to protecting babies from life threatening conditions.

Neural tube defects can have a devastating impact on life expectancy, so this simple step could save lives across Wales.

Kate Steele, CEO of Shine, the national charity that supports people whose lives have been affected by anencephaly, spina bifida and hydrocephalus says:

This is fantastic news.

Shine has been at the forefront of this campaign for the mandatory introduction of folic acid to flour for over 30 years, when research was published to show that folic acid could reduce the chances of pregnancies being affected by neural tube defects such as anencephaly, an important cause of baby loss, and spina bifida.

This move will mean that far fewer families will have to undergo the trauma of a potentially fatal or life-affecting diagnosis for an unborn baby.

This is a major milestone, and we are so grateful to everyone who has played a part in getting this legislation over the line.