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The Importance of Folic Acid By Expert Author: Dr. Eric Daiter MD
View Summary \| Submitted: 2008-06-03 \| Word Count: 410 words \| Views: 338 view(s)

If you are a woman of child bearing age, you should be taking a daily multivitamin containing the B-vitamin Folic Acid. This is especially true if you are currently trying to become pregnant. Even if you are not trying to get pregnant, you should still consider taking them, just in case. About half of all pregnancies are unplanned and it is critical to a baby’s development that it receives enough Folic Acid in the first few days and weeks of its life.

Fruits and vegetables contain Folic Acid, but very few people get enough of it daily from food sources alone. A multivitamin containing Folic Acid or prenatal vitamins containing Folic Acid are the only way to ensure that you are getting enough Folic Acid to greatly reduce the risk of Neural Tube Defects.

Ideally, you should begin taking the vitamins before you get pregnant. They are essential during the first few days and weeks of the pregnancy. The Neural Tube is one of the first things to develop in your baby. The Neural Tube will become the brain and spinal cord as it develops. A properly formed Neural Tube will also produce bones and other structures around the nervous system to protect it. If the Neural Tube does not have enough Folic Acid to form correctly, then the brain, spinal cord, skull and spine may not fully form. This can cause Neural Tube Defects such as Spina Bifida and Encephalocele.

Spina Bifida occurs when there are abnormalities of the spine, the spinal cord and the surrounding tissues that protect the spinal cord. Many times the spinal cord will be exposed and underdeveloped leaving it very vulnerable to damage and injury. Paralysis, incontinence and strange skin sensations are common with Spina Bifida patients. Extensive medical care and surgeries are usually necessary.

Encephalocele babies are born with a hole in their skull. The hole will have a portion of the brain protruding from it. The brain is squeezed through the opening and can have varying degrees of damage as a result. Surgery is required to save as much of the brain as possible and minimize future damage.

We know that Folic Acid protects babies from these crippling and sometimes fatal defects. Your doctor should urge you to take a daily multivitamin containing Folic Acid if you are trying to conceive. Taking it before you become pregnant and consistently for the first thirty days is the best way to protect against Neural Tube Defects.

About the Author/Author Bio

Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit www.drericdaitermd.com.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/The-Importance-of-Folic-Acid/144864

Article Tags: health and fitness, folic acid, prenatal, prenatal vitamin, womens vitamins, pregnancy health

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