Folic acid is the essence of pregnancy as it is one of the essential baby-making nutrients.
Folic acid plays a crucial role during pregnancy as it helps prevent some major congenital disabilities of the baby’s brain and spine.
During early pregnancy, when the baby is developing in the mother’s womb, folic acid helps protect against neural tube defects.
According to the report, Neutral tube defects affect about 3000 pregnancies annually, a fundamental cause of concern.
Also, folic acid prevents defects in the baby’s mouth, cleft lip, and palate. In this defect, the baby’s upper lip has an opening and doesn’t form completely.
Therefore, every woman during the pregnancy stage needs to intake folic acid daily.
WHAT IS FOLIC ACID?
Also known as folate, folic acid is an important vitamin B9 type.
Though everyone requires to take folic acid, it is extremely beneficial during pregnancy days to overcome abnormalities in the fetus. Apart from that, it plays important role in the development of a baby’s neural tube in the brain and the spinal cord.
THE PROPER TIME TO INTAKE FOLIC ACID
Congenital disabilities usually occur within three to four weeks of pregnancy. Therefore, you need to have folate in your diet during the early stages of your pregnancy. This is the time when the brain and spinal cord of your baby are in the development stage.
According to the studies, women who intake folic acid for at least one year before the pregnancy has reduced chances of delivering early by more than 50%.
THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF FOLATES INTAKE
Usually, healthcare providers should take at least 400 mcg of folate daily during pregnancy.
WHY ARE FOLATES ESSENTIAL FOR YOU AND YOUR BABY?
If a pregnant woman doesn’t get enough folic acid during pregnancy, there might be a problem in the closing of the baby’s neural tube. This could lead to several health concerns or neural tube defects.
The role of folic acid becomes crucial to prevent this condition as it can mitigate the odds of this condition by more than 50%.
Otherwise, the neural tube is prone to the following problems:
Spina bifida:
The condition arises due to improper development of the spinal cord or the vertebrae or the bones of the spinal cord that do not fully close.
Also, it can cause a range of disabilities affecting the baby’s overall health.
Babies suffering from Spina bifida may be permanently disabled due to improper spinal cord development.
Anencephaly:
This neutral tube defect leads to incomplete development of the child’s major portion of the brain. Babies suffering from anencephaly usually do not live for long usually.
Encephalocele:
It is a condition in which brain tissues project out to the skin through a surface in the skull. It results in sac-like protrudes coming out of the skull due to improper closing of the neural tube.
The baby’s brain does not develop, or it is underdeveloped. It results in fatal conditions. They may die in the womb or a few days after birth.
Moreover, intake of folic can also protect from following during pregnancy
- Premature birth
- Miscarriage
- Cleft lip and palate
- Low birth weight
- Poor growth
Also, folic acid intake is suggested to reduce the risk of following pregnancy complications include preterm labor, problems associated with placenta development, and other abnormalities in the child.
- Stroke
- Heart diseases
- Some types of cancers
- Alzheimer disease
MISCELLANEOUS BENEFITS:
- With the help of folic acid, the body can break down, use, and generate new proteins.
- It supports the stability of DNA as well as inhibits DNA oxidation.
- It assists the formation of the circulatory system of your baby
- Folic acid is soluble in water, thus your body doesn’t store an excessive amount of it.
Rather, it gets passed through urine. So its regular intake is mandatory to avoid its deficiency in the body.
The strange part is that these defects occur in the fetus, usually during the first 28 days of pregnancy when even that woman doesn’t know that she is pregnant.
Since half of the pregnancies are not even planned, every woman should be cautious regarding folate intake.
So, if you have an adequate intake of folates, you can protect your babies from the harmful effects of its deficiency.
Also, if you already have a baby with neutral tube defects, proper intake of folates can reduce the risk of having neural tube defects in another child.
SOURCE TO GET AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF FOLIC ACID
There are plenty of ways by which you can get enough folic acid
- Editing fortified food
- Taking vitamin-containing folic acid
- Getting folic acid from food is the best way. Food fortified with folic acid includes:
- Bread
- Cornmeal
- Breakfast cereal
- Pasta
- Flour
- White rice
Folic acid is also present in fruits and vegetables, such as:
- Beans
- Leafy green vegetables
- Broccoli
- Citric fruits
THE CONCLUSION
Looking at the benefits and inevitable requirements of folic acid during pregnancy, you must never ignore the benefits of folic acid intake during pregnancy.
For further guidance related to the amount of proper intake of folic acid, get a consultation from your healthcare provider.
