Since the MRC Vitamin Study Research Group in 1991 found that a daily dose of 400 μg folic acid reduced the risk of neural tube defects drastically, periconceptional supplementation of folic acid has been recommended internationally to women planning a pregnancy (1). However, the time-frame in which women are advised to take folic acid differs between countries (2). The ‘Superior Health Council’ in Belgium recommends intake one month before pregnancy until pregnancy week 12; nonetheless, a study in 2010 on the practice of periconception folic acid intake in Flanders (the northern, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) shows that only 36% of women actually pursue this recommendation (3).