During pregnancy, your body requires additional vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to support the development of your growing baby. Vitamins such as folic acid are important in the early stages of pregnancy to help prevent your baby from developing neural tube defects. If you are trying to conceive or are in the early stages of your pregnancy, your doctor will most likely recommend that you start taking a folic acid supplement. Speak with your doctor before adding supplements to your diet.
Identification
Folic acid is a B vitamin that is found in green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach, and also in enriched grains, according to Kids Health. Certain breakfast cereals can provide you with 100 percent of the daily value of folic acid. In addition to folic acid playing an important role in pregnancy and fetal development, some experts believe that it may also play a role in heart health and preventing cancer cells from developing.
Benefits
Folic acid helps fetal neural tube development in early pregnancy. The neural tube becomes your baby's brain and spinal cord. A folic acid deficiency can lead to neural tube defects such as spinal bifida and anencephaly. According to the Baby Center website, if defects occur due to insufficient folic acid, they will develop in early pregnancy before most women even realize they are pregnant. Folic acid is most beneficial in the first 28 days of pregnancy. In addition, this vitamin may also benefit you and your baby's health in other ways.
Recommendations
Women who are still able to get pregnant should get between 400 and 800mcg of folic acid per day, every day, according to WomensHealth.gov. If you have previously delivered a baby diagnosed with neural tube defects and you are planning on getting pregnant again or you have a family member diagnosed with spinal bifida, your doctor may give you prescription strength folic acid for you to take in doses of 4,000mcg.
Warnings
Unless directed by your physician, you should not consume more than 1,000mcg of folic acid per day. According to WomensHealth.gov, too much folic acid in your system may hide signs and symptoms of a B12 deficiency. Eating a healthy well-balanced meal may not provide you with sufficient folic acid. Consult with your physician prior to adding any vitamins and minerals to your diet before or during pregnancy.
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