Folic Acid as a Prenatal Vitamin Supplement

Taking on a role of an expectant mom is not an easy task. Though certainly nothing can match the joy and excitement of child birth, still a lot of responsibility is bestowed on a woman’s back. Having a safe and healthy pregnancy should be the number priority. Aside from having regular visits to a doctor to ensure that the baby is in good physical shape inside the womb, it is also a must to take prenatal vitamins as these contains all the needed nutrients that an expectant mom needs to carry on before, during and after child birth. One of the most important nutrients that these prenatal vitamins have is folic acid.

Folic Acid and Pregnancy

Folic acid, also referred to as Vitamin B9 or folacin is essential to numerous body functions, mainly to synthesize DNA, repair DNA and methylate DNA. It also aids in rapid cell division and growth, which occurs during pregnancy.
Taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid will lead to wonderful results for both the mom and the baby. Aside from ensuring a healthy pregnancy, folic acid sufficiency also means producing red blood cells that cause prevent anemia for the expectant mom. On the other hand, neural tube defects such as spina bifida (for the spinal cord) and anencephaly (for the brain) usually occur at the early stage of child growth and development and having a sustainable amount of folic acid will help prevent such unfortunate circumstances from happening. Thus, the couple will have an assurance that their baby will be free from having heart diseases, cleft lip, cleft palateor worse, mental retardation, for as long the recommended daily dose of folic acid is met at least one month before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy.

The Typical Amount of Folic Acid for Pregnant Womenr
To ensure a healthy pregnancy, most health care experts typically recommend taking 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid per day at least a month before trying to get pregnant. As pregnancy progress, the amount of folic acid intake should increase to 600 micrograms (mcg). Thus, there is a need to check the label of the prenatal vitamins and determine the folic acid content of each tablet.

Food Sources Rich in Folic Acid

Though it is recommended for pregnant women to take one tablet of prenatal vitamins every single day, it is also a must to know various food sources that are rich in folic acid. These include green vegetables (such as broccoli, collard or turnip greens, spinach and asparagus), breakfast essentials (such as bread, cereals, pasta, and egg yolk), legumes (such as peas, dried or fresh beans, and lentils), fruits (such as pineapples, oranges, banana, grapefruits, strawberries, raspberries and cantaloupes), sunflower seeds, baker’s yeast, and liver products.

The Signs of Folic Acid Deficiency

Folic acid deficiency should not be taken for granted as it may have adverse effects on both the mom and the baby. Signs of deficiency include diarrhea, irritability, heart palpitations, headache, loss of appetite and weight loss. Thus, it would be best to go to a doctor to know more about folic acid intake and the great difference that it can make on pregnancy.