|
Folic Acid
Home > Why Folic Acid is so Important |
|
Why Folic Acid is So Important
|
|
What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells.
Everyone needs folic acid. But for women who can get pregnant, it is
really important! If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before
she is pregnant, it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby’s
brain and spine. These birth defects are neural tube defects or NTDs.
Women need to take folic acid every day, starting before they are
pregnant to help prevent NTDs.
CDC and the U.S. Public Health Service urge every woman who could
become pregnant to get 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of synthetic folic acid
every day.
How much is enough? Look for 100% DV (Daily Value)
One easy way a woman can be sure she is getting enough folic acid is
to take a vitamin that has folic acid in it every day. Folic acid pills
and most multivitamins sold in the United States have 100% of the daily
value (DV) of folic acid; check the label to be sure. Another way to get
enough is to eat a serving of breakfast cereal every day that has been
enriched with 100% of the daily value of folic acid. Not every cereal
has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for
one that has “100%” next to folic acid.
When should a woman start taking folic acid?
These birth defects happen in the first few weeks of pregnancy,
often before a woman finds out that she is pregnant. All women
should get in the habit of taking folic acid daily even when they are
not planning to get pregnant. For folic acid to help, a woman needs to
take every day, starting before she becomes pregnant.
Date: November 16, 2005
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
|