![]() ![]() When taking supplements, more is not necessarily better. The two most important factors that determine whether a woman has a blood folate concentration that is high enough to help prevent neural tube defects are the amount of folic acid consumed each day and 11 the length of time it is consumed before pregnancy.Once a woman starts consuming 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day, it can take several months for her to have a blood folate concentration that is high enough to help prevent neural tube defects.Having enough folate in the blood can reduce her risk of having a baby affected by a neural tube defect 11. When a woman gets folic acid through fortified foods or supplements, her blood folate concentration increases. Blood folate concentration is the amount of folate that can be measured in the blood (many forms of folate are included in the measure).The effectiveness of these supplements in preventing neural tube defects has not been studied. Supplements containing forms of folate other than folic acid (such as 5-MTHF) should not be confused with the natural food folate found in fruits and vegetables.However, it is very difficult for most women to get the daily recommended amount of folate through food alone ( see Table 2 ). A woman should eat a balanced diet rich in natural folate from food. Natural folate can be found in foods such as leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, and beans.In many scientific studies done in countries around the world, folic acid has been shown to be effective in preventing neural tube defects 2-6. Folic acid is the synthetic (that is, not generally occurring naturally) form of folate that is used in supplements and in fortified foods, such as rice, pasta, bread, and some breakfast cereals.However, folate is a general term used to describe the many different forms of vitamin B9: folic acid, dihydrofolate (DHF), tetrahydrofolate (THF), 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (5, 10-MTHF), and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) 1. The terms “ folic acid” and “folate” often are used interchangeably.If you have had a baby affected by a neural tube defect, be sure to discuss with your doctor or a genetic counselor your risk of having another pregnancy affected with a neural tube defect. Although the majority of neural tube defects can be prevented by getting 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day, some neural tube defects have other causes. Occasionally, some women will take the daily recommended amount of folic acid and still have a baby with a neural tube defect.Therefore, to help prevent neural tube defects, it is important for women to start folic acid consumption before pregnancy begins. Waiting until the first prenatal visit (typically, the 6 th to 12 th week of pregnancy) to start folic acid consumption will not prevent neural tube defects. If a woman consumes folic acid before and during early pregnancy, it can help increase the chance of her baby’s neural tube closing properly. The baby’s neural tube closes during the first weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman knows that she is pregnant.Neural tube defects develop very early during pregnancy when the neural tube-which forms the early brain and the spinal cord-does not close properly. The two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida (a spinal cord defect) and anencephaly (a brain defect). Neural tube defects are serious birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. ![]()
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