Folic acid and pregnancy – before and during
You’ve probably heard a lot about the relationship between folic acid and pregnancy, how important it is for a pregnant woman to consume sufficient amount of folic acid every day. Actually, even when you are trying to conceive, one of the first things your doctor will tell you is that you should start taking folic acid.
Folic acid, or often called folate, is a B vitamin that can be naturally found in a number of foods, including dark-green leafy vegetables (such as kale and spinach), natural orange foods (such as oranges, cantaloupe, yams and sweet potatoes) and cereals.
Folic acid is extremely important for cellular division and DNA synthesis in human, particularly for proper development of the brain, skull and spinal cord of the newly developed embryo. Adequate folic acid intake before and just after a woman got pregnant is vital to help protect against serious birth defects, including neutral tube defects.
Click here to learn more about folic acid and pregnancy, plus other important vitamins to get pregnant, all in Personal Path to Pregnancy.
One of the most common birth defects is malformation of the spine – spina bifida. It is an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and column. Taking folic acid can help reduce the risk of spina bifida significantly.
Other type of birth defects, such as anencephaly, which is a serious underdevelopment of the brain, and encephalocele, which is when brain tissue abnormally protrudes through an opening in the skin, can also be reduced through adequate intake of folic acid.
All the anomalies mentioned above take place in the first month of pregnancy, which is normally before a woman finds out she has conceived. That’s why taking folic acid even before you get pregnant is of paramount importance.
However, you’re not likely to get adequate folic acid from the food you eat daily, that’s why it’s recommended that you start taking a good preconception multivitamin that contains folic acid or additional folic acid supplement, as soon as you plan to get pregnant. This helps to ensure the health of your baby and to support a better pregnancy.
If you receive 400 micrograms (equivalent to 0.4 milligrams) of folic acid before conception, it can significantly reduce the risk of the above-mentioned birth defects in your newborn.
In addition to the general effects of folic acid and pregnancy, now there are even more reasons for both women as well as MEN to take folic acid. Studies have found that folic acid is very important for fertility in men and women.
In men, folic acid is important for spermatogenesis (i.e. formation of sperms). In women, folic acid contributes to normal formation of eggs, implantation of the embryo to the wall of the uterus, and the formation and function of the placenta. Therefore, it is necessary for both men and women to receive adequate amounts of folic acid through their daily diet to avoid sub-fertility (i.e. less fertile than a typical couple).