To find out more, visit the cookies section of our privacy policy. Why is folic acid so important in pregnancy? How much folic acid should I be taking? Your Health Prior to Pregnancy Resources. You and your male partner have no personal or family history of birth defects known to be related to folic acid. Folic acid is the man-made form of the B vitiamin folate.
Folic acid is added to some foods and can also be found in supplements. Folate is found naturally in food like leafy green vegetables, citrus fruit, legumes and nuts. Folate is water-soluble and is easily destroyed by cooking. Folic acid is vital for healthy bodily growth and development in everyone and is especially important for pregnant women. Your body uses folic acid to make DNA. The neural tube is one of the first things your baby will grow.
The neural tube is formed in the first four to six weeks of pregnancy. This can cause a range of disabilities including loss of bladder and bowel control, and paralysis of the legs. In some cases, the effects can be more severe. It is unclear what causes spina bifida but it can be linked to a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors, for example a family history of neural tube defects and folate deficiency.
Signs and symptoms of spina bifida vary by type and severity and can also differ per person. But taking them can give your body — and your baby — an added boost of vitamins and minerals.
Some health care providers recommend taking a folic acid supplement in addition to a prenatal vitamin. Talk to your doctor about your daily folic acid intake. He or she might recommend a prescription supplement, an over-the-counter brand, or both. Also talk to your doctor if you've already had a pregnancy that was affected by a neural tube defect or if you or your partner were affected by one yourselves. The doctor may recommend that you take a higher dose of folic acid even before getting pregnant.
Reviewed by: Armando Fuentes, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Learn more about the recommended intake level of folic acid here. Every woman of reproductive age needs to get folic acid every day, whether she is planning to get pregnant or not, to help make new cells.
Folate is a general term to describe many different types of vitamin B9. Food fortification is a way to add vitamins or minerals, or both, to foods. Some rice, pasta, bread, and breakfast cereals are fortified with folic acid.
Folic acid is ideal to use for food fortification. It is more stable than types of natural food folate.
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