Saturday, 15 October 2011

Why Take Folic Acid When Pregnant

By Chancey Lane


If you are planning get pregnant you should consider taking folic even if you are healthy and have a good diet. Once pregnant, continue to take folic acid for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Folic acid which is Vitamin B9 is essential to the healthy development of your child. It can prevent serious neural tube defects such as spina bifida, anencephaly which is a severe underdevelopment of the brain and encephalocele, also a brain health defect.

Folic acid plays a important role in the development of DNA. It is essential for the healthy growth of your foetus' cells and for tissue formation especially in the first 3 months of pregnancy.

As soon as you suspect that you are pregnant start taking folic acid if you are not already taking the supplement as part of your health regime. Most doctors that research shows that your baby benefits the most from good levels of folic acid in the first 4 weeks of their development. This is why many women habitually take folic acid during their child bearing years just in case they get pregnant.

That's not to say that if you don't take folic acid in the first four weeks of pregnancy, you are harming your child. Over 50% of pregnancies are unplanned so do not worry too much, just make sure that as soon as you have your pregnancy confirmed and even before if you can, you are taking 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.

Sometimes, if you have had a previous pregnancy which was affected by a neural tube defect or suffer with obesity, diabetes or epilepsy, your primary career will advise a higher than average dosage of folic acid.
Foods that naturally contain folic acid include: dark green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and sprouts, orange juice and beans and lentils.




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