Folic Acid & Pregnancy
To have a healthy baby, you need to be healthy too. Getting enough folic acid (a B vitamin) can help prevent many birth defects. Many of these birth defects develop during the first month of pregnancy, so it is important that you have enough folic acid in your system even before becoming pregnant.
All women who could get pregnant need to eat folic acid (also known as folate). Not getting enough folate can lead to various birth defects, most commonly spina bifida and anencephaly. In severe cases, spina bifida, which affects the spinal cord, can cause a child to lose control of its bladder or become paralyzed. Anencephaly is a deadly condition in which a baby is born with a small and weak brain.
You can get folate (folic acid) from:
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Leafy green vegetables like lettuce, spinach, and broccoli |
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Dried Beans |
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Peanuts |
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Oranges and orange juice |
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Grains like wheat, rice, pasta and bread |
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Cereals like Total |
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Multi-vitamins |
It is recommended that all women, whether they are pregnant or not, take a multi-vitamin. However, some cereals and multi-vitamins contain different amounts of folate so, read the label and talk to your doctor about which ones have the right amount for you.
Please talk to your doctor about how much folate you should have each day, and what is the best way for you to get enough folate (by taking a pill, or eating certain foods). This is especially important if you have already had a child with a brain or spinal birth defect, or take any prescribed medication.
Source: March of Dimes. June 2005. http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/173_769.asp
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