If you’re trying to get pregnant or are newly expecting, “One of the most important things you can do to help prevent serious birth defects in your baby is to get enough folic acid every day,” says KidsHealth.org.
Folic acid is a B vitamin crucial to the development of DNA, playing a big role in promoting cell growth and tissue formation. And according to the American Pregnancy Association, folic acid is also important in making the extra blood your body needs during pregnancy.
All of that means taking folic acid can help reduce the risk of your fetus developing a neural tube defect by up to 70 percent. Some of the conditions you can avoid with folic acid include:
- Spina bifida – an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and spinal column
- Anencephaly – severe underdevelopment of the brain
- Encephalocele – an abnormal opening in the skull causing brain tissue to protrude out to the skin
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that if you are a woman of childbearing age you should consume 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. You should do this even if you aren’t planning a pregnancy because, in truth, about half of all pregnancies are unplanned.(written by Marcia Ellett)
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