Introduction
Folic acid is a vitamin, vitamin B9 to be exact.
You can find other words to further define this vitamin: folate, or folacin.
We want to show in this text, the importance of folic acid in the preparation of your pregnancy, and thus its importance to the development of your unborn baby!
A key element in the development of your unborn baby
It takes about 3 months for the capital of folic acid is optimal, or of studies have shown that nearly half of women age to conceive a child, are in partial deficiency of this vitamin.
It plays a vital role in the first 4 weeks of pregnancy, the developing neural tube of the future baby.
The neural tube will form its spine, skull and brain.
A deficiency of folic acid can cause neural malformations: spina bifida, and to a lesser extent, a malformation of the face: the harelip (the cleft lip and palate)
In fact, the occurrence of these defects for 1 pregnancy in 1000.
When, how and who is affected by supplementation with folic acid?
For this reason, the medical profession calls for folic acid from the preparation of pregnancy, at least 8 weeks before the first trial design, and during the 1 first month of pregnancy.
Indeed it appears that supplementation reduced the risk of malformation of almost 70%!
They found folic acid in the daily diet, especially vegetables in green leaves, bread, cereals, and vegetables and dried fruits.
(see below)..
But as a precaution, doctors prefer to prescribe additional tablets to take daily.
Assays:
- 0.4 mg per day for women does not pose a particular risk.
- 5 mg per day for women who are at increased risk.
What are the circumstances of increased risk:
- If you had a child with a neurological defect, spina bifida type.
- If you follow an anti-epileptic treatment, or treatment for diabetes.
- If you are overweight, or conversely, if your body mass index (BMI) is below 18 in early pregnancy.
- If you become pregnant while you are still growing season (for all girls!)
In all cases, is an important point of discussion with your doctor whenever you want to start your “project baby”!
Where does one find folic acid in food daily?
All leafy vegetables: watercress, chicory, dandelion, lettuce, mache, endive, leeks, cabbage, artichokes, spinach, parsley …
Seeds: walnuts, chestnuts, chickpeas, lentils, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts.
Eggs.
The refined cheeses like Brie, Les Bleus, the Goats …
Bread in any proportion, but as we consume more, it becomes interesting in terms of contribution … particularly bread.
Folic acid is a substance found in many foods and has been shown that in certain regions of the world in which there is a in the diet, such as parts of England there is an increased risk of malformations in nervous system – such as spina bifida or myelomeningocele, and has also been seen that administration of folic acid in the diet prevents this type of malformations.