728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Pregnancy › Who Needs Folic Acid?

Who Needs Folic Acid?

You Do!

By Shelly Hemig

Pages:  1  2  3  

What do Baked Asparagus, Lentils and Rice and Oriental Papaya Chicken Salad have in common? Besides being a welcome alternative to burgers, fries and shakes, they all contain ingredients that are sources of folic acid.

Anyone who has been pregnant or trying to conceive in the last few years has been told by their doctor about this supplement.

"When I went off of birth control, I decided to start taking folic acid," says 23-year-old Jaime Matthews, from Cordova, Alaska. "From reading many articles, [I know that] folic acid reduces the chances of having a neural tube defect. [It] was also recommended by my doctor."

What Is Folic Acid?
According to the Spina Bifida Association of America (SBAA), folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin. Many foods contain folic acid, known as folate in its natural form. The SBAA advises women of childbearing age (15 to 45) to take this vitamin daily.

This recommendation is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women who could possibly become pregnant get 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid every day. That encompasses 60 million women in the United States alone, leading to 6 million pregnancies every year.

What Does Folic Acid Do?
"Folic acid can make a significant contribution toward not having a baby affected by spina bifida," says Adriane Griffen, recurrence prevention program manager from the SBAA.

Spina bifida and anencephaly, known as neural tube defects, occur when the spine fails to close properly, which happens within the first 30 days of pregnancy. Since folic acid facilitates DNA synthesis, which is necessary to build new cells, it facilitates the normal replication of cells. But it's not a cure-all. Many factors affect a pregnancy.


Pages:  1  2  3  


Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.