Folic acid during pregnancy beneficial for pregnant women and fetuses are conceived. folic acid in pregnant women is useful in preventing the occurrence of megaloblastic anemia, increase metabolism and reduce the risk of preeclampsia / eclampsia (high blood pressure and seizures during pregnancy).Adequacy of folic acid in the fetus plays a role in reducing the risk of defects in the central nervous system (interference with neural tube / Neural Tube Defects (NTD) and other birth defects (cleft lip). Also played prevent miscarriage, Down syndrome, solusio plasentae (placenta separates from the rod of the uterus), low birth weight.
NTD can occur anensefali / akraia (fetus without skullcaps), spina bifida (spinal disorders that do not close), meningo-ensefalokel (do not close the skull). The disorder is caused by the failure of the spinal neural tube to close properly at the 28th day post-conception.
NTD risk may be reduced by 80% to consume enough folate before and during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. The dose of folic acid that is required is 1 mg of folate in the diet / food, or from 0.4 to 0.8 mg in supplement form.
So now we start from the Campaign for the consumption of folic acid began 3-6 months before planning a pregnancy. It is expected that the level of red blood cell folate and plasma folate increased, thereby reducing the risk of babies born with neural tube defects and other abnormalities.
many sources of folic acid obtained from :
1. Vegetables such as spinach, asparagus, bok choy, broccoli, turnip greens, lettuce, cabbage.
2. Fresh or dried beans, peas, wheat, sunflower seeds. Enriched grain products (pasta, cereal, bread).
3. Fruits such as oranges, tomatoes, pineapple, melon, oranges, bananas, raspberries, strawberries, avocados, bananas.
4. Milk and dairy products like cheese, yogurt.
5. White egg
6. liver
Folic acid.