The Importance of Folic Acid

By the time you know that you are pregnant, your baby's brain and spine are already formed. If women have enough folic acid, a B-vitamin, in their systems before pregnancy, the risk for birth defects of the baby's brain or spine is decreased.

Folic acid can be found in some enriched foods such as breads, pastas, and cereals, and in vitamin pills. It can also be consumed by eating a healthy diet that includes fruits, green, leafy vegetables, and dried beans and legumes.

Folic acid can help guard against anencephaly and spina bifida, the two most common neural tube defects. A neural tube defect occurs during the first four weeks of pregnancy, when the neural tube fails to close properly, leaving the developing brain and spinal cord exposed to the amniotic fluid.

Spina bifida occurs when the lower end of the neural tube fails to close, causing the spinal cord and backbones to develop un-properly. Often a sac of fluid protrudes through an opening in the back, and a portion of the spinal cord is often contained in this sac. Resulting disabilities include paralysis of the infants' legs, loss of bowel and bladder control, water on the brain (hydrocephalus) and various learning disabilities.

Anencephaly is a fatal condition in which the upper end of the neural tube fails to close. The brain either never completely develops or is totally absent. Most often these pregnancies result in miscarriages; if the infants are carried to term, they die soon after birth.

Although experts do not know exactly how folic acid works to prevent neural tube defects, they do know that its role in tissue formation is essential because it is required for the production of DNA.

There are other health benefits to taking folic acid. It lowers your levels of homocysteine, an amino acid associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, folic acid may reduce the risk for other birth defects, such as cleft lip and palate and certain congenital heart defects. It may also help to protect against some forms of cancer and heart disease. Although more research is needed, it is a proven fact that folic acid is a beneficial vitamin to be taken by women of childbearing age.