Folic Acid should be used also BEFORE pregnancy

Health care professionals are urging women who could become pregnant to up their intake of folic acid.

A panel of experts from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, along with Health Canada say certain birth defects can be prevented if women who become pregnant are taking proper amounts of folic acid.
According to Health Canada, folic acid is important in the normal development of a baby's spine, brain and skull and can prevent defects such as spina bifida.

It is recommended that women take a supplement of 0.4 milligrams of folic acid daily, along with eating sufficient amounts of foods fortified with folic acid such as spinach, broccoli, corn, oranges, peas, beans and lentils.

The supplement should be taken at least three months prior to becoming pregnant and should continue to be taken through the first three months of pregnancy.

"Folic acid becomes critical near the end of the first month of pregnancy," said Heather McAvoy, public health nutritionist at the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region

"Often women don't even realize they are pregnant at this time so it's important to have already been taking the supplement."

McAvoy also pointed out that some women are at a higher risk of having a baby with a birth defect.

"If you have had neural tube defect pregnancy, or have a family history of that problem, or if you have diabetes, epilepsy or you are overweight, you should consult a doctor before planning a pregnancy,"

Source: P.A. Daily Herald

Higher dose of folic acid could reduce birth defects with 50%

Women planning pregnancy should increase their intake of folic acid as much as possible since it could play a key role in reducing as many as half of certain birth defects, according to new guidelines released Wednesday.

The recommendations were produced for health care professionals by a multidisciplinary panel of experts from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.

Women with no personal health risks, a planned pregnancy and a diet of foods rich in folate should take a multivitamin containing between 0.4 and one milligram of folic acid at least two to three months before conception and throughout pregnancy, the recommendations say.

However, women who are at higher risk, including those who are smokers, obese, diabetic or with previous history of spina bifida in the family should be supplementing their diet with multivitamins containing five milligrams of folic acid, three months prior to and up to 12 weeks following conception.

After the first 12 weeks, in both at-risk and normal pregnancies, women should take a multivitamin containing between 0.4 and one mg of folic acid, and keep taking it as long as breastfeeding continues.

Read the full story on CBC News