The
most under-rated nutrient in pregnancy : Folic Acid
- Start Folic Acid supplements in pre-conception stage/ childbearing age itself.
- Birth defects occur within the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy which makes early initiation of folic acid supplements necessary
- Baby's brain and spinal cord are developing rapidly during the early stages.
- Without enough folic acid, baby's neural tube may not close correctly and may develop health problems called neural tube defects. These include:
o Spina bifida: incomplete development of the
spinal cord or the vertebrae
o Anencephaly: incomplete development of major
parts of the brain
Risk associated with low folic acid
intake
-
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
Dosage Recommended
-
400
micrograms (mcg) before and during pregnancy
Good
sources of Free folate from foods
|
Food
|
Folic
acid (mcg)
|
Food
|
Folic
acid (mcg)
|
|
Liver sheep
|
65.5
|
Ladies finger
|
25
|
|
Spinach
|
51
|
Green gram dal
|
24.5
|
|
Gingelly seeds
|
51
|
Curry leaves
|
23.5
|
|
Cluster beans
|
50
|
Whole wheat
|
14.2
|
|
Amaranth tender
|
41
|
Tomato ripe
|
14
|
-
The body does not use folate from food as easily
as folic acid from synthetic supplements. Hence, women who can get pregnant
should consume 400 micrograms of synthetic folic acid in addition to the
natural food folate from a varied diet
Sources:
CDC, Webmd, Medline Plus
