When you are pregnant, you should take certain vitamins and minerals to increase the health of you and your growing baby. Folic acid is one of those vitamins. Taking a daily prenatal vitamin can ensure that you are getting an adequate amount of folic acid before conception, during pregnancy and while lactating.
Dosage
Folic acid is so important that most health professionals recommend taking a vitamin containing folic acid even before you become pregnant. Before pregnancy you should take a vitamin that contains 400 micrograms of folic acid. Once you have become pregnant, your prenatal vitamin should be providing 600 micrograms of folic acid.
Other Sources
If you are pregnant, eating healthy is a very important practice. Many foods that should make up a healthy diet are also sources of folic acid. Foods that contain folic acid include fortified cereal and bread, leafy green vegetables, peas, beans, citrus, bananas, melon and tomatoes. According to the March of Dimes, it is safe to get up to 1,000 mg of folic acid per day.
Significance
Folic acid is important because it can prevent your fetus from developing a neural tube defect. These kind of defects include spina bifida and anencephaly. Spina bifida occurs when the spine is not completely enclosed. Anencephaly is a condition marked by an unformed brain. Both conditions are life threatening. If you plan on becoming pregnant or even if you are of child-bearing age, you should be taking a vitamin that contains 400 micrograms of folic acid.
Considerations
If you have previously had a pregnancy and had a fetus with a neural tube defect, the recommendations for folic acid may differ for you. Your doctor may provide you with an additional supplement that will give you 4,000 micrograms of folic acid. This supplement should be taken for at least one month before you get pregnant through the third month of pregnancy.
References
- March Of Dimes; Folic Acid for a Healthy Pregnancy and Baby; 2010
- "Mayo Clinic Guide to A Healthy Pregnancy"; Roger W. Harms, M.D.; 2004
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