Benefits of folic acid in pregnancy

Folic Acid | CDC

CDC urges all women of reproductive age to take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid each day, in addition to consuming food with folate from a varied diet, to help prevent some major birth defects of the baby’s brain (anencephaly) and spine (spina bifida).

About folic acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells. Think about the skin, hair, and nails. These–and other parts of the body – make new cells each day. Folic acid is the synthetic (that is, not generally occurring naturally) form of folate used in supplements and in fortified foods such as rice, pasta, bread, and some breakfast cereals

Why folic acid is important before and during pregnancy

When the baby is developing early during pregnancy, folic acid helps form the neural tube. Folic acid is very important because it can help prevent some major birth defects of the baby’s brain (anencephaly) and spine (spina bifida). The neural tube forms the early brain and spine.

Women of reproductive age need 400 mcg of folic acid every day

All women of reproductive age should get 400 mcg of folic acid every day to get enough folic acid to help prevent some birth defects because
- About half of U.S. pregnancies are unplanned, and
- Major birth defects of the baby’s brain or spine occur very early in pregnancy (3-4 weeks after conception), before most women know they are pregnant.

When taking folic acid, a higher dose than 400 mcg of folic acid each day is not necessarily better to prevent neural tube defects, unless a doctor recommends taking more due to other health conditions.
- When planning to become pregnant, women who have already had a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect should consult with their healthcare provider. CDC recommends that these women consume 4,000 mcg of folic acid each day one month before becoming pregnant and through the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Learn more about CDC’s folic acid recommendations here.
Learn more about the recommended intake level of folic acid here.

When to start taking folic acid

Every woman of reproductive age needs to get folic acid every day, whether she is planning to get pregnant or not, to help make new cells.

Are folate and folic acid the same thing?

The terms “folate” and “folic acid” are often used interchangeably, even though they are different. Folate is a general term to describe many different types of vitamin B9.

Types of folate can include

Dihydrofolate (DHF)
Tetrahydrofolate (THF)
5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (5, 10-Methylene-THF)
5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-Methyl-THF or 5-MTHF)

Food fortification is a way to add vitamins or minerals, or both, to foods. Some rice, pasta, bread, and breakfast cereals are fortified with folic acid. These foods are labeled “enriched.” Folic acid is a specific type of folate that does not generally occur naturally.

Folic acid is the ideal form of folate to use for food fortification. It is more stable than types of natural food folate, which can easily be broken down by heat and light. Folic acid is better suited for food fortification because many fortified products, such as bread and pasta, are cooked.⁶

CDC recommends that women of reproductive age who could become pregnant consume at least 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day. However, it’s difficult to get 400 mcg of folic acid through diet alone. You can get 400 mcg of folic acid each day by taking a vitamin with folic acid in it, eating fortified foods, or a combination of the two, in addition to consuming a balanced diet rich in natural food folate.

How to get enough folic acid to prevent neural tube defects

In addition to eating foods with folate from a varied diet, women can get folic acid from

Taking a vitamin that has folic acid in it:
- Most vitamins sold in the United States have the recommended daily amount of folic acid (400 mcg) that women need for the prevention of neural tube defects. Vitamins can be found at most local pharmacy, grocery, or discount stores.
Eating fortified foods:
- You can find folic acid in some breads, breakfast cereals, and corn masa flour.
Getting a combination of the two: taking a vitamin that has folic acid in it and eating fortified foods.

If taking folic acid for reasons other than neural tube defect prevention, talk to your healthcare provider.

Learn more about where to find folic acid in the United States here.

More Information

For more information, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.

You can also contact CDC-INFO in English or Spanish:

1-800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
In English
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Folic Acid Benefits in Pregnancy

Written by Stephanie Watson

Reviewed by Traci C. Johnson, MD on August 12, 2022

What Is Folic Acid?

Folic acid is a man-made form of a B vitamin called folate. Folate plays an important role in the production of red blood cells and helps your baby's neural tube develop into their brain and spinal cord. The best food sources of folic acid are fortified cereals. Folate is found naturally in dark green vegetables and citrus fruits.

When Should I Start Taking Folic Acid?

Birth defects occur within the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy. So it's important to have folate in your system during those early stages when your baby's brain and spinal cord are developing.

If you talked to your doctor when you were trying to conceive, they probably told you to start taking a prenatal vitamin with folic acid. One study showed that women who took folic acid for at least a year before getting pregnant cut their chances of delivering early by 50% or more.

The CDC recommends that you start taking folic acid every day for at least a month before you become pregnant, and every day while you are pregnant. However, the CDC also recommends that all women of childbearing age take folic acid every day. So you'd be fine to start taking it even earlier.

If you picked out your own prenatal vitamin, take it to your OB once you're pregnant to make sure it has the recommended amounts of everything you need, including folic acid. All prenatal vitamins are not the same and some may have less or more of the vitamins and minerals you need.

How Much Folic Acid Should I Take?

The recommended dose for all women of childbearing age is 400 mcg of folate each day. If you take a multivitamin every day, check to see if it has the recommended amount. If for some reason you don't want to take a multivitamin, you can take folic acid supplements.

Here's how much folic acid is recommended each day in terms of pregnancy:

While you're trying to conceive: 400 mcg
For the first three months of pregnancy: 400 mcg
For months four to nine of pregnancy: 600 mcg
While breastfeeding: 500 mcg

What Are the Benefits of Folic Acid?

Without enough folic acid in your body, your baby's neural tube may not close correctly and they could develop health problems called neural tube defects. These include:

Spina bifida: incomplete development of the spinal cord or the vertebrae
Anencephaly: incomplete development of major parts of the brain

Babies with anencephaly usually do not live long, and those with spina bifida may be permanently disabled. These are scary problems, to say the least. But the good news is that getting enough folic acid may protect your baby from neural tube defects by at least 50%. According to the CDC, if you've already had a baby with a neural tube defect, getting enough folic acid may reduce your risk of having another child with a neural tube defect by as much as 70%. If you have had a previous child with a neural tube defect, tit is recommended that you increase your daily amount of folic acid to 4000 mcg (same as 4 mg) each day. Check with your doctor about how much you should take.

When taken before and during pregnancy, folic acid may also protect your baby against:

Cleft lip and palate
Premature birth
Low birth weight
Miscarriage
Poor growth in the womb

Folic acid has also been suggested to reduce your risk of:

Pregnancy complications (One report found that women who took folic acid supplements during the second trimester had a reduced risk of preeclampsia. )
Heart disease
Stroke
Some types of cancers
Alzheimer’s disease

Good Food Sources of Folic Acid

Foods that can help you get more folic acid in your diet include:

400 mcg: Breakfast cereals fortified with 100% of the DV, 3/4 cup
215 mcg: Beef liver, cooked, braised, 3 oz
179 mcg: Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, 1/2 cup
115 mcg: Spinach, frozen, cooked, boiled, 1/2 cup
110 mcg: Egg noodles, enriched, cooked, 1/2 cup
100 mcg: Breakfast cereals, fortified with 25% of the DV, 3/4 cup
90 mcg: Great Northern beans, boiled, 1/2 cup

Why is folic acid useful during pregnancy and how long should it be taken?

Folic acid is the key to the proper development of the child in the womb. Therefore, doctors advise starting taking this substance at the stage of pregnancy planning. Without fail, the drug is prescribed in the early stages of bearing a child. But in large quantities, folic acid can be harmful, so you need to know the nuances.

Benefits of folic acid

Folic acid is involved in the development of the baby's neural tube. Also with the participation of this most important substance is the formation of a healthy and full-fledged placenta, blood cells, DNA and RNA.

With a deficiency of this substance, the expectant mother has dangerous consequences:

development of abnormalities in the fetus;
inability to bear pregnancy;
defects in the formation of the child's brain and, as a result, mental retardation;
depression in pregnancy;
complex forms of toxicosis;
anemia;
leg pain and swelling.

Attention! The human body does not produce folic acid directly, but it is synthesized in the intestines during the processing of food.

Useful properties of vitamin B₉:

has a positive effect on the female nervous system;
stimulates the endocrine glands;
improves fat metabolism;
has a positive effect on the condition of the skin;
normalizes the female hormonal background.

Health requires a person to consume and absorb at least 200 micrograms of folic acid daily. But this is normal for the average person. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, a woman's need for vitamin B₉ doubles.

We present to your attention a balanced complex with high dosages of vitamins of group B - Northern cranberry and B-vitamins - Essential Vitamins. The complex helps to support the nervous system, improve the condition of the skin and hair and activate the metabolism, it is recommended for increased stress, when changing diet, lifestyle and for recovery from stress.

And for young mothers, we recommend the Siberian Wellness complex - MAMA Box. Breastfeeding - The Daily Box set, which was developed in accordance with the standards of the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, is optimal in composition and which will provide the nursing mother and her baby with vitamins, minerals and valuable omega-3 to the fullest. acids.

Pregnancy planning norm

The dosage of folic acid at the stage of pregnancy planning is 800 mcg. It is necessary to take the drug 3-6 months before the planned conception. In the event that a woman has already given birth to a child with various congenital anomalies, it is necessary to increase the dosage to 4000 mcg daily.

Attention! A man at the planning stage of pregnancy should also take folic acid, as it increases the number of active sperm in seminal fluid.

Folic acid during pregnancy

Doctors prescribe folic acid supplements to all mothers-to-be in early pregnancy. This vitamin is responsible for both mental and physical health of the baby. It also prevents early termination of pregnancy and depressive states in a woman.

The doctor prescribes a course for each patient individually. Most often, the drug is prescribed exclusively for the first trimester of pregnancy, up to 14 weeks. For certain risks, for example, if a woman has already given birth to a baby with abnormalities or had miscarriages in the early stages, the folate regimen is extended.

Folic acid is also part of another Siberian Wellness complex - MAMA Box Pregnancy - Daily Box set, which meets the recommendations for pregnant women of the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, more than 50% consists of natural or organic components, and which maintains the balance of vitamins and micronutrients in the mother's body and contributes to the proper development of the baby.

Products containing folic acid

In addition to drugs, it is possible to supplement the diet with products containing this substance. They must be on the menu of the expectant mother without fail:

greens - folic acid in Latin means "leaf", 100 g of spinach contains 80 mcg of vitamin;
legumes are another source of vitamin B₉ in large quantities, for example, 100 g of lentils contain almost half the daily requirement of acid;
all types of cabbage, content up to 31 mcg;
citrus fruits, one orange contains 15% of the daily requirement of the substance;
nuts are a clear leader in folate content, 100 grams of peanuts contain 240 micrograms of a valuable substance.

Also on the menu you need to add asparagus, watermelon, tomato. From animal products - cod liver, egg, as well as beef and pork liver.

Attention! Pregnancy is a crucial period during which a woman should pay special attention to nutrition, since a lack of just one vitamin from group B can lead to severe malformations of the child.

Folic acid for pregnancy planning

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home » About clinic » Folic acid when planning a pregnancy

Any woman who plans to become pregnant and become a mother in the near future should consciously and carefully prepare for this new status. And if everyone knows about a healthy lifestyle, parting with bad habits and walking in the fresh air, then expectant mothers often ignore the intake of certain vitamins and medicines before pregnancy. One such remedy is folic acid.

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is vitamin B9. Often you can hear the generalized name - folates, they are derivatives of this vitamin. We must understand that we get them from food, and folic acid tablets are a synthetic agent that is already converted into folates inside the body.

All derivatives of vitamin B9 play an important role in hematopoiesis, that is, the formation of new blood cells. Therefore, the lack of these substances leads to anemia - a condition in which there are not enough red blood cells, or they are irregular in shape and do not perform their functions. Folates have another very important feature: they stimulate the formation of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), which are the basis of all body cells. Therefore, it is folic acid that is necessary for all rapidly dividing human tissues, including embryonic tissues.

The role of folic acid:

is involved in the formation of DNA in all cells, that is, the source of hereditary information;
stimulates hematopoiesis;
indirectly blocks the formation of cancer cells;
restores muscle tissue;
during pregnancy: plays a role in the formation and development of the nervous tissue of the fetus, participates in the formation of placental vessels.

Why do you need folate during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, especially in the early stages, the consumption of folate increases dramatically. All cells of the embryo are intensively dividing in order to eventually form full-fledged tissues. The nervous tissue of the future man is transformed especially quickly and difficultly. And it is she who requires a large amount of folic acid.

Folic acid deficiency during pregnancy can occur due to the following reasons:

Insufficient intake of folate from food.
Folate malabsorption (in chronic inflammatory diseases of the stomach and intestines).
Genetic disorders of the folate cycle. In rare cases, a woman's body lacks the necessary enzymes (MTHFR). As a result, folic acid is not converted to folates, and they do not perform the necessary functions. Intermediate metabolic products accumulate in the body, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases, tumor processes, infertility and miscarriage. In the presence of such a mutation, it is recommended to take folic acid derivatives, for example, Metafolin. It is absorbed faster and in greater volume.
Certain anti-epilepsy and hormonal drugs dramatically lower blood folate levels:

oral contraceptives;
barbiturates, diphenylhydantoin;
sulfa drugs (for example, biseptol), which inhibit the synthesis of vitamin B9 by the intestinal microflora;
drinking alcohol also lowers their levels.

At what stage of pregnancy should I take folic acid supplements?

Folic acid intake to prevent fetal malformations should be started already at the stage of preparation for pregnancy, at least three months before the intended conception. That is why pregnancy should be planned. If conception occurred unexpectedly, then you need to start taking the drug as soon as it became known.

Reasons for taking folates at the stage of pregnancy planning:

With an unbalanced diet, a woman can have a low level of folic acid, so it takes time to replenish her reserves. It usually takes three to four months.
The neural tube of the fetus is laid at such an early stage that a woman may not yet be aware of the pregnancy, especially with a long menstrual cycle.
Folate deficiency can make pregnancy difficult.

Doctors at the Intime Family Planning Clinic give the following recommendations for taking folic acid: in most cases, three months before conception and throughout pregnancy, you need to take 400 micrograms of folic acid per day.