Folic acid

Every woman who could become pregnant are recommended 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of synthetic folic acid every day.
The causes of folate deficiency are, due to poor diet or less intake of vegetables as in alcoholics, or increased demand during pregnancy, haemolysis, dyserythropoiesis, malignancy, long term hemodialysis, malabsorption especially in coeliac disease, tropical sprue and certain drugs like phenytion and trimethoprim all causes folate deficiency.
Folate is found in green vegetables, fruits, liver, and is synthesized by gut bacteria. Good sources of folate are, brussels sprouts, fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, asparagus, beetroot, orange, avocado,melon, potatoes, cauliflower, peas, wholemeal bread, dried beans. Liver is the richest source of folate but an alternative source is advised in early pregnancy because of its high vitamin A content. The most serious side-effects of repeated moderate or high doses of retinol are liver damage, hyperostosis and teratogenity.Therefore woman's who are pregnant in developed countries are advised not to take vitamin A supplements.
Body stores folate sufficient for three months, folate is absorbed mainly in the jejunum. Maternal folate deficiency is also linked to neural tube defects in fetus.
Folate is directly involved in DNA and RNA synthesis and it seems that a higher than normal level is required during embryonic development. All women planning a pregnancy are advised to include good source of folate in their diet.
Folic acid ( pteroylglutamic acid) and related compounds are known as folates. The body obtains folate by breakdown of food polyglutamates to monoglutamates in the small intestine, much is destroyed by cooking. Folic acid as such is available only as a medicinal compound. The coenzyme form of this vitamin is tetrahydrofolic acid.
Folic acid deficiency is most commonly seen in pregnancy and alcoholism. Folic deficiency states can result in megaloblastic anemia and neural tube defects (NTDs).
Folic supplemetation is recommended before and during pregnancy.
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are major birth defects of a baby’s brain or vertebrae. Neural tube defect is an Imperfect closure of the neural tube which takes place 3-4 weeks after conception, which results in birth defects like, spina bifida, anenecephaly, and encephalocele. These birth defects can cause lifelong disability or death.
Studies have shown that folic acid reduces recurrence or occurrence of these deformities by about 70 %, but it must be taken prior to and following conception.
About 3,000 pregnancies in the United States are affected by spina bifida or anencephaly each year. Many of these defects could be prevented if all women got enough of the B vitamin folic acid every day starting before they get pregnant.
Anencephaly is one type of the fetal anomaly where the vault of the skull and brain tissue are absent, the cause is due to failure of the closure of cephalic part of neural tube (open neural tube defect). Babies with this defect die before birth (miscarriage) or shortly after birth.
Any woman can have a baby with an NTD. If a woman can get pregnant, she is at risk for having an NTD-affected pregnancy. No one can predict which women will have a pregnancy affected by an NTD. All women are at risk.
The neural tube is a narrow sheath that closes to form the brain and spinal cord of the embryo. As development progresses, the top of the tube becomes the brain and the remainder becomes the spinal cord. This process is usually complete by the 28th day of pregnancy. But if problems occur during this process, the result can be brain disorders called neural tube defects, including spina bifida.
Spina bifida, is characterized by the incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and meninges (the protective covering around the brain and spinal cord). It is the most common neural tube defect in the United States affecting 1,500 to 2,000 of the more than 4 million babies born in the country each year.
Most children born with spina bifida live full lives, but they often have lifelong disabilities and need many surgeries. The effects of spina bifida are different from each children all don’t have the same needs. Some children’s problems are much more severe than others.
The neural tube is the tissue of an embryo (a developing baby to the eighth week after conception). Normally, a fetus’s central nervous system develops inside the neural tube. When this tube does not close properly, an encephalocele may result. Either skin or a thin membrane covers the defect
An encephalocele is classified as a neural tube defect. An encephalocele is a rare disorder in which the skull do not close completely, creating a gap through which cerebral spinal fluid, brain tissue and the membrane that covers the brain (the meninges) can protrude into a sac-like formation.
The physical and emotional tolls upon the families affected by birth defects are high. That’s why it’s so important to encourage women to take folic acid every day to help prevent these birth defects.
Folic acid is a B vitamin that the body needs to make healthy new cells. Every woman who could possibly get pregnant are recommended to take 400 micrograms (400 mcg or 0.4 mg) of folic acid daily in a vitamin or in foods that have been enriched with folic acid.
Along with taking a vitamin or eating a cereal that has 100% DV of folic acid, women should always eat a healthy diet that has lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods.
However, how folic acid works to prevent birth defects is unknown. But studies show that folic acid is needed to make healthy new cells. Taking folic acid every day, starting before and during pregnancy, can reduce the risk for these serious birth defects by 50% to 70%.
Most women in the developed and developing countries do not get enough folic acid to help prevent birth defects. The average woman gets less than the amount needed from her diet alone. That’s why all women who can get pregnant are encouraged to take a vitamin with folic acid or eat a serving of fully fortified breakfast cereal each day.
Folic acid might help to prevent some other birth defects, such as cleft lip and palate and some heart defects.
Everyone needs folic acid. But for women who can get pregnant, it is much more important. If a woman has adequate folic acid in her body before she is pregnant, this can help prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain and spine.Women need to take folic acid every day, starting before they are pregnant to help prevent NTDs.