Can You Take Too Much Folic Acid During Pregnancy
Most expecting mothers are more concerned with having a healthy baby than what the gender is going to be. Folic acid during pregnancy is a key factor to having a healthy birth. Some women do not understand how important it is to take enough even before they plan on getting pregnant. It is important to educate yourself on such matters. With just a little bit of preparation and precaution some conditions can be completely prevented. At least with some care the risk of serious conditions can be reduced by about 70 percent just by taking a daily dose of folic acid.
This mineral is part of the compound vitamins that make up the vitamin B complex group. It helps with the development of cells and how they regenerate themselves. It also helps with the proper forming of the spinal cord and the brain. If the body is deficient of folic acid during pregnancy it makes the risk of miscarriage to go up significantly. Without enough of it in the mother’s system there is also a one in a thousand chance that the infant will develop a Neural Tube Disorder (NTD).
NTD can be displayed in several different conditions when the infant is first born. Just a couple of manifestations are spinal bifida and anencephaly. Spinal Bifida is a word that means “open spine” and it can result in a total paralysis of bladder, bowels and legs. Anencephaly is fatal. It is actually caused by the brain and skull not fully developing. If you have a previous child that was born with these conditions you are at a higher risk of having another child with one of them.
Taking folic acid during pregnancy can help prevent these types of serious conditions in infants. Here are the benefits of proper levels in the body:
• Adequate division and function of cells
• Healthy forming of hemoglobin
• less likely to have stroke or heart attacks
• protection from certain cancers
• possible less risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
400 micrograms is the recommended dosage for women before they become pregnant. But then it is increased to 600 mcg of folic acid during pregnancy. It the physician feels that you are at significant risk then they may raise the dosage to as much as 1000mcg. Most of the prenatal vitamins that are available on the market will contain this amount. Make sure to discuss any problems or concerns you may have with your doctor.