Folic Acid and Pregnancy

Perhaps the most important vitamin for an expecting mother to take during pregnancy is folic acid. Folic acid is a B vitamin that is known to help prevent birth defects specifically in the brain and spinal cord when taken in the early part of pregnancy. Folic acid aids the body in making healthy new cells.

Folic acid pregnancy needs can be met by taking a prenatal multivitamin that contains folic acid or by eating foods with a high concentration of folate.

• * Orange Juice
• * Broccoli
• * Asparagus
• * Spinach
• * Romaine Lettuce
• * Black Beans
• * Lentils
• * Peanuts
• * Eggs
• * Papaya
• * Salmon

Being careful and aware of folic acid during pregnancy is an important step in helping make sure that the developing baby is healthy and free of birth defects, especially those related to the spine and brain.

New studies have shown that not only does folic acid prevent birth defects, but may actually reduce a child's risk of cancer if the mother took folic acid during pregnancy. This is important since leukemia accounted for 35% of pediatric cases last year as well as brain and spinal tumors which had 17% of pediatric cases.