Eating a healthy, diversified diet throughout pregnancy will help you acquire the majority of the vitamins and minerals you need. However, if you are pregnant or have a high risk of becoming pregnant, you should additionally take a folic acid supplement.
If you are pregnant or are seeing a gynaecologist, you have probably heard the term folic acid several times. But what is folic acid, and how does it help with pregnancy, pregnancy maintenance, and the baby’s physical and mental development? IVF experts from Progenesis Fertility Center have shared this informative piece about the benefits of folic acid.
What is Folic Acid?
Folic acid is a vitamin. It’s vitamin B9 (sometimes called “folate” or “folacin”). Its primary function is to help construct the DNA molecule. It also influences protein synthesis and the proliferation of blood, nerve, and immune cells. Its effect is thus critical at times of increased metabolic activity, such as childhood, adolescence, and, especially, pregnancy.
The body cannot synthesise vitamin B9, thus it must be obtained from diet. Liver, yeast, egg yolks, pasta, green vegetables, legumes, fruit, and soya are especially high in folic acid.
Benefits of Folic Acid Before Pregnancy
Consuming folic acid prior to pregnancy appears to help you get pregnant by enhancing female fertility. In fact, folic acid, like all other cells in the body, actively participates in the creation of the oocyte’s DNA molecule. Vitamin B9 thereby enhances oocyte quality. It is also hypothesised to play a role in embryonic development and promote embryo implantation in the endometrium.
Vitamin B9 is thus important for conceiving a child. Folic acid supplementation should begin at least three months before conception and be continued throughout pregnancy, up to the twelfth week of amenorrhea.
Vitamin B9 is also known to improve spermatogenesis. Folic acid, like in women, helps to produce the DNA of the male gamete, the spermatozoon. In men, a folic acid-rich diet increases the quantity and motility of spermatozoa, while decreasing morphological defects. Folic acid also improves male fertility and helps in the conception of a child.
Benefits of Folic Acid After Pregnancy
The body of a woman changes throughout her pregnancy. Changes occur almost immediately from the first days of the pregnancy, and energy requirements rise. Folic acid helps the mother’s body adapt to the pregnancy and the changes that come with it.
Vitamin B9 Treatment for Pregnant Women
Vitamin B9 reduces the risk of anaemia, which is quite common during pregnancy. It also helps to alleviate fatigue and mood issues. It regulates the mother’s immunological response to the embryo and stimulates the growth of organs including the uterus and mammary glands.
Taking folic acid throughout your pregnancy also helps the pregnancy function normally till term. More precisely, a deficit can raise the likelihood of miscarriage and early birth. Folic acid deficiency is believed to be one of the reasons for intrauterine growth retardation.
Folic acid in foetal development
In addition to its benefits throughout preconception and pregnancy, folic acid is essential for foetal development. More precisely, folic acid deficiency is linked to the development of neural tube abnormalities. Vitamin B9 supplementation in pregnant women lowers the probability that the baby will have certain nervous system congenital abnormalities.
Neural tube defects are congenital abnormalities affecting the brain, spinal cord, and spinal column. They appear during the fourth week of development.
Spina bifida occurs when the spinal column fails to close. It is an abnormality that prevents the proper development of muscles, bones, nerves, and skin. As a result, the spinal cord may be damaged. The effects for the newborn vary according to the site of the injury. This is the most prevalent neural tube defect.
Folic acid improves foetal development and reduces the incidence of neural tube abnormalities by 75%!
In addition to these defects, the link between folic acid levels during pregnancy and heart, cleft lip and palate, and urinary system deformities has been established. Folic acid supplementation may lower the risk of these congenital abnormalities.
Folic Acid Dosage
The Ministry of Health’s official guideline is to prescribe folic acid for pregnancy to all women of reproductive age who intend to conceive. The medication begins three months before conception and must be followed throughout the pregnancy until the eleventh week. The recommended dosage is 400 micrograms per day. However, for mothers who have already given birth to a baby with a neural tube closure abnormality, the recommended daily dosage is 5 milligrams.
Vitamins with Folic Acid for Pregnancy
For most women, eating fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, breads, pastas, and rice is insufficient to meet their requirements. A vitamin supplement is likely required to meet the necessary daily intake. During pregnancy, you require more of all important nutrients than before you were pregnant.
Prenatal vitamins should not substitute a well-balanced diet. However, taking them can provide your body—and your baby—with an extra burst of vitamins and minerals. Some medical professionals advocate taking a folic acid supplement in addition to a prenatal vitamin. Consult your doctor about your daily folic acid consumption. They may recommend a prescription supplement, an over-the-counter pill, or both.