Folic acid

[treebaby]

Hello everyone. I have a question about the amount of Folic acid you should take if you are considering trying to get pregnant in a few months. I went for my yearly physical this week, and I asked my physician, and he said 400mcg was enough unless you have a history of pregnancies that are problematic with a particular spinal defect (sorry I can't speak about the defect more intelligently). I always heard you should take 800mcg. I told him this, and he said it was not necessary. I wanted to ask the knowledgeable people here for their opinions. Sorry if this is a repeat of a question!

Thanks,
Teresa

 

[rockette]

I took 400mcg of folic acid for about the first 4 or 5 months of pregnancy. I also take a whole foods supplement(the equivalent of eating a salad) so that has folic acid in it as well.

I have read that same info that your doctor gave you. I think with my last pregnancy I took 800 mcg plus my supplement.

One thing I've learned about pregnancy(this is #3) is that you have to do what feels comfortable for you(obviously that takes into account keeping your babyhealthy)

HTH,
Valerie

 

[Sheila Watkins]

Hello Teresa,

I am going to cut and paste the abstract of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation for folic acid consumption during pre-conception and during pregnancy. You can access the entire position paper at http://www.aap.org/policy/re9834.html.



ABSTRACT

The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses the US Public Health Service (USPHS) recommendation that all women capable of becoming pregnant consume 400 µg of folic acid daily to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs). Studies have demonstrated that periconceptional folic acid supplementation can prevent 50% or more of NTDs such as spina bifida and anencephaly. For women who have previously had an NTD-affected pregnancy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends increasing the intake of folic acid to 4000 µg per day beginning at least 1 month before conception and continuing through the first trimester. Implementation of these recommendations is essential for the primary prevention of these serious and disabling birth defects. Because fewer than 1 in 3 women consume the amount of folic acid recommended by the USPHS, the Academy notes that the prevention of NTDs depends on an urgent and effective campaign to close this prevention gap.

Hope this helps you! Good luck.

Sheila

Sheila S. Watkins, MLSci.
Founder and National Program Director
Healthy Moms(R) Fitness
www.healthymomsfitness.com

 

[treebaby]

Thanks so much for the responses. I trust my Doctor, but I had heard of a conflicting amount of Folic acid one should take, so I wanted reassurance.

Thanks again!
Teresa

P.S. I don't know if you will look back at this post Sheila, but I am the one who corresponded with you when you first moved to Georgia. Hope things are going well!