Selecting the proper folic acid tablets during pregnancy

Women who are pregnant or are likely to become pregnant need folic acid. It is also known as folate or vitamin B9. It is a naturally occurring slate for various reasons:

1. Folic acid tablets during pregnancy help preventing the neural tube defects. These are serious birth defects of the spinal cord and the brain. The defects of neural tube occur at a very early stage of development. These occur even when women are not aware about their pregnancy. About 3000 pregnancies are affected in a year due to neural tube defects.

2. It has been reported by the Centers for Disease control and prevention that women who are taking the folic acid tablets during pregnancy at least one before the conception as well as during the first trimester of pregnancy have a reduced risk of the baby suffering from neural tube defects.

3. It is suggested by some that folic acid helps in lowering the baby’s risk of various other defects such as the cleft palate, cleft lip and certain other types of heart defects.

4. Folate is needed by the body for making normal red blood cells and for preventing anemia.

5. Folic acid tablets are very essential for the functioning, repair and production of DNA. A basic building block of cells and the genetic map is also regulated.  Thus, enough folic acid is also very important for the rapid cell growth of the placenta as well as the developing baby.

6. It is suggested by some research that if multivitamins are taken along with folic acid, the risk of preeclampsia is reduced. This is usually a complex disorder due to which the mother’s and the baby’s health can be affected.

For reducing the baby’s risk of developing neural tube defect, it is recommended by the experts that 400 mcg of folic acid must be taken by a pregnant woman every day. This must begin at least a month before a woman tries to get pregnant. In fact, half the pregnancies in the United states are unplanned. It is strongly recommended by the experts that women of all ages must have 400 mcg of folic acid every day. Some groups suggest that the intake of folic acid must be boosted to 600 mcg daily. The label of the folic acid tablets during pregnancy must be checked for making sure that enough supplements are being obtained. A woman can even switch between brands.