Why Is Folic Acid Important When Trying To Get Pregnant?

What is Folic Acid?birth defects.
It is a B vitamin which is needed by the body toWhy should women take folic acid before being
make new cells. Everybody needs folic acid but duringpregnant?
pregnancy when new cells are formed in the babyWomen should take folic acid before pregnancy to
and therefore more is needed. If a woman hasprevent birth defects of the brain and spine, as
enough folic acid in her body before she is pregnant,these happen in the first few weeks of pregnancy,
it can help prevent major birth defects of her babiesoften before a woman finds out that she is pregnant.
brain and spine. These birth defects are neural tubeAll women should get in the habit of taking folic acid
defects. Women need to take folic acid every day,daily even when they are not planning to get
starting before they are pregnant to help preventpregnant. For it to help, a woman needs to take it
Neural Tube Defects (NTD).every day, starting before she becomes pregnant.
How much of extra Folic Acid should be taken?Why should you take Folic acid when you make
It occurs naturally in food like green leafy vegetables.effort to eat a healthy and nutritious diet?
But CDC & doctors recommend that womenYou might think that you can get all the folic acid and
should take folic acid tablets once every day toother vitamins you need from the food you eat each
prevent defects of her baby's brain and spine.day. But it is hard to eat a diet that has all the
Recommended dose is 400 mcg every day.nutrients you need every day. Even with careful
CDC (Center for Disease Control, USA) recommendsplanning, you might not get all the vitamins you need
every woman of child bearing age to take Folic Acidfrom your diet alone. That's why it's important to
400 microgramme (400 mcg) every day to preventtake a vitamins every day.