Folic acid is a pregnancy superhero! Taking a prenatal vitamin with the recommended 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid before and during pregnancy can help prevent neural tube birth defects of your baby’s brain and spinal cord.
WHAT ARE NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS?
Neural tube defects are birth defects that involve incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord. The most common neural tube defects are:
- spina bifida: when the spinal cord and spinal column don’t completely close
- anencephaly: a severe underdevelopment of the brain
- encephalocele: when brain tissue protrudes out to the skin through an opening in the skull
All of these defects happen during the first 28 days of pregnancy — usually before a woman even knows she’s pregnant.
That’s why it’s so important for all women of childbearing age to get enough folic acid — not just those who are trying to become pregnant. Half of all pregnancies are not planned, so any woman who could become pregnant should make sure she gets enough folic acid.
It’s not clear why folic acid has such a profound effect on the prevention of neural tube defects. But experts do know that it’s vital to the development of DNA. As a result, folic acid plays a large role in cell growth and development, as well as tissue formation.
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 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 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.