The Importance of Folic Acid During Pregnancy

The link between folate intake and a reduced risk of having a baby with neural tube defects is the strongest argument for pregnant women to take folic acid supplements.
Folic acid, sometimes known as vitamin B9 or folate, is a water-soluble vitamin in the B-complex family. Everyone needs a diet rich in folic acid, as folate deficiency can cause serious health problems.
Folic acid is especially important for pregnant women and those of childbearing age, according to Very Well. However, many people do not get enough folic acid from their diets.

The link between folate intake and a reduced risk of having a baby with neural tube defects is the strongest argument for the need for pregnant women to take folic acid supplements. Neural tube defects are a group of birth defects that affect the brain and spinal cord, the most common of which are spina bifida (split vertebrae) and anencephaly (lack of brain formation). Neural tube defects can be severely disabling or even fatal to a developing baby.
Studies have shown that mothers who take adequate folic acid before pregnancy have a 50 to 70 percent lower risk of having a baby with neural tube defects. The neural tube closes by the 28th day after conception, so in many cases, the critical period may have passed before a person even realizes they are pregnant.
Since many pregnancies are unplanned, it is recommended that women of childbearing age take 400 mcg of folic acid daily, and those planning to become pregnant should ensure that they have been taking this amount of folic acid for at least three months before conception.
This amount of folic acid can be easily met by taking a prenatal vitamin (or any multivitamin that contains at least 400 mcg of folate), but it is also possible to get enough folic acid from your diet without supplements if you choose foods rich in folate.
If you have had a baby with a neural tube defect,

your doctor may recommend taking even more than 400 mcg of folic acid daily

for a while before trying to conceive again.

Folic acid is an important nutrient for cell division and optimal growth

and therefore can continue to be beneficial during pregnancy.

In addition, there is evidence that folic acid may

reduce the risk of other birth defects, and mothers with low levels of folic acid

may face a higher risk of miscarriage, premature placental abruption, and preterm labor,

which may be due to the link between low folic acid and homocysteine ​​levels.
Is too much folic acid dangerous?
There is no set upper limit for how much folic acid is considered safe,

but doctors sometimes advise women to keep their daily folic acid

intake below 1,000 micrograms.

Some research has shown that taking too much folic acid supplements may be

associated with a slightly increased risk of wheezing and other breathing problems in the baby.

But the evidence in favor of folic acid still far outweighs the evidence against it.

Still, it’s a good idea to stick to the recommended daily intake.