Folic Acid in Pregnancy
With so much stress on taking folic acid if you are planning for a pregnancy or are pregnant, you might be wondering what's it all about. It is extremely important to have enough reserves of folate, or folic acid, in the body to prevent bearing a child with certain defects that may cause future disability in him or her. That's exactly what folic acid prevents.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid, also called folate, is vitamin B9 (a B vitamin). It is found naturally in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, orange juice, and in certain vegetables and fruits. Folic acid is essential to many bodily functions such as DNA synthesis and repair, homocysteine metabolism.
Folic acid deficiency (FD), due to lack of folic acid in the diet, can result in many health problems, the most important one of them is neural tube defects in developing embryos. FD can also lead to impairment of DNA synthesis and repair, making the person more prone to cancer development.
Why is folic acid important for pregnant women?
Scientific research has established that women who take 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of Folic acid daily prior to conception and during early pregnancy reduce the chances of their baby developing and being born with a serious neural tube defect (a birth defect involving incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord) by up to 70%. These defects occur within the first 28 days of pregnancy, even before you may know that you are pregnant.
This is the reason why it's so important for all women of childbearing age to get enough folic acid. This does not only stand for women who are planning a pregnancy or are pregnant, but for all women of child-bearing age, because only 50% of pregnancies are actually planned.Therefore, it is prudent that any woman who could become pregnant should make sure that she gets enough folic acid.
Adequate folic acid intake is very important before conception and at least 3 months afterwards to potentially reduce the risk of having a fetus with a neural tube defect.If you've already had a pregnancy that was affected by a neural tube defect, you must tell your doctor. Your doctor may recommend that you increase your daily intake of folic acid (even before getting pregnant) to lower your risk of having another occurrence.
What are Neural tube defects (NTDs)?
A neural tube defect is a birth defect in which there is incomplete development of the brain and the spinal cord. Spina bifida, Anencephaly and Encephalocele are amongst the most common neural tube defects. In spina bifida, there is incomplete closure of the spinal cord and spinal column. Anencephaly refers to severe underdevelopment of the brain. In encephalocele, the brain tissue protrudes out to the skin from an abnormal opening in the skull. All these birth defects have chances that may result in a miscarriage or the birth of a baby with a severe disability. Sometimes, the disability may not be immediately apparent at birth.
How can I ensure that I get enough Folic acid?
You can ensure that you receive the recommended daily allowance of 400 micrograms of folic acid by either taking a supplement or eating foods rich in folate. However, you should also remember that folic acid is lost by overcooking. Click here to read a list of the food items that are a good source of folate.
How do I know if I have Folate deficiency?
If you feel fatigued or weak often, are irritable, grumpy, you may have iron-deficiency or folate-deficiency anemia. Other signs and symptoms include diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, sore tongue, headaches, heart palpitations, irritability, forgetfulness or other behavioral disorders.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid, also called folate, is vitamin B9 (a B vitamin). It is found naturally in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, orange juice, and in certain vegetables and fruits. Folic acid is essential to many bodily functions such as DNA synthesis and repair, homocysteine metabolism.
Folic acid deficiency (FD), due to lack of folic acid in the diet, can result in many health problems, the most important one of them is neural tube defects in developing embryos. FD can also lead to impairment of DNA synthesis and repair, making the person more prone to cancer development.
Why is folic acid important for pregnant women?
Scientific research has established that women who take 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of Folic acid daily prior to conception and during early pregnancy reduce the chances of their baby developing and being born with a serious neural tube defect (a birth defect involving incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord) by up to 70%. These defects occur within the first 28 days of pregnancy, even before you may know that you are pregnant.
This is the reason why it's so important for all women of childbearing age to get enough folic acid. This does not only stand for women who are planning a pregnancy or are pregnant, but for all women of child-bearing age, because only 50% of pregnancies are actually planned.Therefore, it is prudent that any woman who could become pregnant should make sure that she gets enough folic acid.
Adequate folic acid intake is very important before conception and at least 3 months afterwards to potentially reduce the risk of having a fetus with a neural tube defect.If you've already had a pregnancy that was affected by a neural tube defect, you must tell your doctor. Your doctor may recommend that you increase your daily intake of folic acid (even before getting pregnant) to lower your risk of having another occurrence.
What are Neural tube defects (NTDs)?
A neural tube defect is a birth defect in which there is incomplete development of the brain and the spinal cord. Spina bifida, Anencephaly and Encephalocele are amongst the most common neural tube defects. In spina bifida, there is incomplete closure of the spinal cord and spinal column. Anencephaly refers to severe underdevelopment of the brain. In encephalocele, the brain tissue protrudes out to the skin from an abnormal opening in the skull. All these birth defects have chances that may result in a miscarriage or the birth of a baby with a severe disability. Sometimes, the disability may not be immediately apparent at birth.
How can I ensure that I get enough Folic acid?
You can ensure that you receive the recommended daily allowance of 400 micrograms of folic acid by either taking a supplement or eating foods rich in folate. However, you should also remember that folic acid is lost by overcooking. Click here to read a list of the food items that are a good source of folate.
How do I know if I have Folate deficiency?
If you feel fatigued or weak often, are irritable, grumpy, you may have iron-deficiency or folate-deficiency anemia. Other signs and symptoms include diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, sore tongue, headaches, heart palpitations, irritability, forgetfulness or other behavioral disorders.
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