Folic Acid Protects Mothers-To-Be and Those Who Plan To Be

All women of childbearing age should consume adequate daily amounts of folic acid, a B-vitamin found in foods as folate. Folic acid can help reduce the risk of certain serious and common birth defects called neural tube defects (NTDs), which include spina bifida.

Folate’s potential to reduce the risk of NTDs is so important that the Food and Drug Administration requires food manufacturers to fortify enriched grain products with folic acid.

The tricky part is that NTDs can occur in the first months of pregnancy before a woman realizes she’s pregnant. Since many pregnancies are unplanned, adequate folic is a must for all women who might be mothers-to-be.

Here are a few suggestions for obtaining adequate amounts of folic acid:

• Include the following foods in your diet: orange juice and other citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, asparagus, romaine lettuce, beans and enriched grain products.
  
  
• Eat a fortified breakfast cereal with 100 percent of the daily value of folic acid
  
  
• Take vitamin supplements containing 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily.
  

To learn more about folic acid, or to help plan a diet rich in this B-vitamin, the Department of Health Services offers a free brochure, “Women and Folic Acid: What’s the Connection?” To obtain a copy, or to request other healthy lifestyle information, send an e-mail, including your name, address and name of the brochure to healthdept@co.bergen.nj.us.

Office of Health Promotion 041602