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Folic acid: its importance in early pregnancy
The first thing that a woman does after she discovers that she is pregnant is starting to take extra care of her body and what is going into it in order to ensure the good health of her baby!
You can be sure that the first thing your doctor will do is make sure that you are getting enough amounts of folic acid, especially during your first trimester.
Folic acid is needed for the normal development of your baby. It can help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine. These birth defects are called neural tube defects or NTDs; women need to take folic acid every day not only starting in the first trimester but even before they become pregnant to help prevent NTDs.
Why before pregnancy…
Taking folic acid before pregnancy will help prevent brain and spine defects in the baby that may occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy often before the woman knows she’s pregnant. That’s why, even when you are not planning to have a baby, and you are at a child-bearing age, it is better to consume foods rich in folic acid daily (or consult your doctor for a folic acid supplement). Folic acid also helps to prevent other birth defects, such as cleft lip and palate and some heart defects as well.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a B vitamin used in our bodies (especially pregnant) to make new cells. Scientists are not sure how folic acid works to prevent birth defects, but they know that it is needed for making the cells that will form a baby’s brain, spine, organs, skin and bones.
The recommended intake of folic acid for females is:
- Less than 19 years 400 mg/day
- Pregnant 600 mg/day
- Breast feeding 500 mg/day
How to get the recommended amount of folic acid?
In addition to the supplements your doctor may prescribe, here is a simple way to make sure you are getting enough of folic acid:
Have a bowl of fortified breakfast cereal, and enrich your diet with fresh fruits like oranges and melons, vegetables especially green leafy vegetables, broccoli, artichoke etc, nuts and seeds like peanuts and sesame, and legumes like lentils, black beans etc.
Folic acid in rich food sources
| Food source | Folic acid amount in mg |
| Lentils (one cup cooked) | 358 |
| Sunflower seeds (one cup) | 300 |
| Spinach (one cup cooked) | 262 |
| Black beans (one cup cooked) | 256 |
| Peanuts (one cup) | 212 |
| Whole wheat cereal Nestlé FITNESS® (40 g) | 136 |
| Fresh orange juice (one cup) | 109 |
| Asparagus (half a cup canned) | 98 |
| Broccoli (one cup cooked) | 78 |
