Final answer:
The Food and Nutrition Board recommends that women consume at least 400 µg/day of folate from supplements or fortified foods to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in their babies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends that all women who might become pregnant consume at least 400 µg/day of folate from supplements or fortified foods. This is because folic acid, which is the synthetic form of folate, is crucial during early pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Folic acid helps in the development of the neural tube, which eventually forms the baby's brain and spinal cord.