How Does Folic Acid Cause Developmental Delay?

Women are urged to maintain adequate amounts of folic acid three months before they decide to conceive a child and during pregnancy. The recommended amount of daily intake for women of childbearing age is 400mcg per day. This level of folic acid helps to prevent major birth defects of the baby's brain and spine.

What is Folic Acid?

Folic acid is a B vitamin used to make new cells. Recommended folic acid amounts decrease neural tube birth defects by 50 to 75 percent. Two neural tube anomalies decreased by folic acid are anencephaly and spina bifida.

Developmental Delays

Anencephaly occurs when the neural tube does not close completely during the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy. This causes the baby to be born without parts of the brain, skull and scalp. The front part of the brain and the cerebrum may not be present. The cerebrum is the part of the brain where thinking and coordinating occur. Babies born with anencephaly usually die. They often have visual (blindness) and aural (deafness) disabilities and are unconscious.
Spina bifida occurs when the neural tube does not close completely at the spinal column during the first month of pregnancy, resulting in nerve damage to the spine, which causes paralysis to the legs. In addition to physical disabilities, the child may also have developmental delays. Hydrocephalus is a possibility that can cause further delays due to the buildup of fluid on the brain. Children born with spina bifida may have difficulty paying attention, problems with language and reading and trouble learning math.

Sources of Folic Acid

Some foods containing folic acid are beef liver (185 mcg), cowpeas (105 mcg), spinach (100 mcg), Great Northern beans (90 mcg), asparagus (85 mcg), rice (65 mcg) and broccoli (50 mcg). Some breakfast cereals are also fortified with 100 percent of the daily value of folic acid (400 mcg). Folic acid is also available in supplement forms. Dosage amounts vary.

Warnings

Do not exceed 1,000 mcg of folic acid per day. This can cause an interaction with vitamin B12 and trigger symptoms of B12 deficiency. Permanent nerve damage can occur if vitamin B12 deficiency is not treated.
People taking anti-convulsant medicines should talk with their doctor before taking a supplement due to evidence that high levels of folic acid may elicit seizures.