Plasma folate and homocysteine
In the control group (who received 400 μg/day folic acid, as in the intervention group), from preconception baseline to 1 month after supplementation commencement mean maternal plasma folate increased by 0.74 SDS (95% CI: 0.64 to 0.84, Plasma homocysteine concentrations, an indicator of folate and B-vitamin deficiency, in the control group decreased by 0.13 (0.05 to 0.21, 