HHS HealthBeat (November 10, 2010)

Vitamin before baby

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

If a woman doesn’t get enough of the B vitamin folic acid, her baby could have severe – even fatal – birth defects of the brain or spine. But these neural tube defects develop in the first weeks of pregnancy – before a woman might even know she’s pregnant.

So it’s important for women to get enough folic acid. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alina Flores says women can buy 400-microgram folic acid supplements. And, she says, they can eat fortified foods:

``These are foods to which folic acid has been added. For example, breakfast cereals, breads, rice, pasta. Again, it’s important to read the label to make sure it says 400 micrograms of folic acid.’’ (11 seconds)

An article on folic acid is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011