If a nurse explains that several tests will be performed, one of which is the serum alpha-fetoprotein test and then the 38 year old client asks what the test will reveal. The nurse should include in the reply of open neural tube defects. The lack of folic acid before and during pregnancy gave rise to the birth of neural tube defects. Folic acid is a vitamin B9 molecule that helps the body produce newer cells and helps stop the formation of cancer as a byproduct of the changes of DNA replication. It also helps during the pregnancy since pregnant women are prone to lack of red blood cells. The use of folic acid in the prevention of neural tube defect is to help from the defect of the baby's spinal cord and the brain.
