Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Folic acid will be put in bread making flour to prevent devastating birth defects that can result in death or lifelong disability, it can be revealed.Fortifying bread and other food staples with folic acid has significantly reduced birth defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord in other countries including the United States, Canada and Australia.The move comes after an investigation by the Herald exposed the heartbreaking stories of parents who have been pushing for years for New Zealand to match other countries by fortifying bread."This is about protecting babies. Low folate levels in mothers cause neural tube defects that result in the death of babies, or lifelong disability," said Food Safety Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall."This B vitamin is safe and essential for health, particularly for development of babies early in pregnancy. Folate is naturally present in food - folic acid fortification restores what is lost during processing such as flour milling."A little over half of pregnancies in New Zealand are u