Take folic acid, it will save your baby’s life
Feb 03, 2008
DURING Susan’s first antenatal visit to Nsambya Hospital, she was declared fine, but folic acid tablets were prescribed for her. Surprised, she asked the nurse what the tablets were for.<br>Folic acid is a B vitamin that prevents defects of the brain and spine of the baby. It also helps in red bl
By Halima Shaban
DURING Susan’s first antenatal visit to Nsambya Hospital, she was declared fine, but folic acid tablets were prescribed for her. Surprised, she asked the nurse what the tablets were for.
Folic acid is a B vitamin that prevents defects of the brain and spine of the baby. It also helps in red blood cell replication for the extra blood needed during pregnancy.
Dr. Margaret Nakakeeto, a neonatologist, says without folic acid there is a higher chance of miscarriage and a one in 1,000 chance of the child getting a Neural Tube Disorder (NTD). “Folic acid is essential for the making of the cells of the neural tube. The neural tube is the precursor to the spinal cord and brain.
Nakakeeto says spina bifida, the most common birth defect, affects the neural tube (also called open spine). It appears in 1-2 births every month.
In the embryo, if the ribbon of tissue that folds inward to form the neural tube by the 28th day does not close, defects in the spinal cord and in the vertebrae (small bones of the spine) can result.
Research has shown that these defects can easily be prevented if women took folic acid before and during pregnancy.
In Uganda, there are about 1.2 million pregnancies every year. But according to the Uganda Demographic Health Survey report of 2006, 49% of the women in Uganda were anaemic.
Many Ugandan women do not plan their pregnancies, therefore are unlikely to benefit from the habit of taking folic acid before and during early pregnancy.
Dr. Geofrey Alia, a gynaecologist at Mulago Hospital, says as the foetus develops the neural tube differentiates into more specialised areas, separating into the brain and the spinal cord, and different nerve cells, brain and spinal tissue.
Taking folic acid significantly increases the chance of cell division proceeding correctly. Nakakeeto says every woman planning to get pregnant should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, either in a supplement or foods that have been enriched with it.
When pregnant, the dosage should be increased to at least 600 mcg, however your doctor may recommend 1,000 mcg.
Studies also show that 400mcg of folic acid a day maintains a healthy heart by lowering homocysteine levels in the blood, a recently identified risk factor for heart disease.
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, thus the body will flush out any excess quantities, making overdosing a non-issue. Alia says, all women of childbearing age should take folic acid daily to increase its effectiveness especially during unplanned pregnancies.
Some women do not realise they are pregnant until several weeks later, by which time the crucial development phase for the brain and spinal cord of the foetus has passed.
Nakakeeto adds that during the first month of pregnancy when the baby’s organs are developing, there is need for folic acid to complete the closure of the spinal column.
“It is possible for women to get their daily dose through foods. However, the body absorbs the synthetic faster than the natural form. The best way to get the proper amount is in form of a synthetic supplement,†Nakakeeto says.
A few other sources of folic acid: dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli; fortified breads and breakfast cereals; beans, and peanuts and orange juice.
Nakakeeto says the signs of folic acid deficiency are diarrhoea, loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness, a sore tongue, headaches, heart palpitations and irritability.
“If you are mildly deficient, you may not notice any symptoms. That is why all women of childbearing age need to take folic acid,†she says.
Couples who have had a baby with spina bifida or any other NTD stand an increased risk of having another affected baby.
Alia says, many women do not understand the importance of regular folic acid intake and how without it they put their unborn child at risk before they have even conceived.
DURING Susan’s first antenatal visit to Nsambya Hospital, she was declared fine, but folic acid tablets were prescribed for her. Surprised, she asked the nurse what the tablets were for.
Folic acid is a B vitamin that prevents defects of the brain and spine of the baby. It also helps in red blood cell replication for the extra blood needed during pregnancy.
Dr. Margaret Nakakeeto, a neonatologist, says without folic acid there is a higher chance of miscarriage and a one in 1,000 chance of the child getting a Neural Tube Disorder (NTD). “Folic acid is essential for the making of the cells of the neural tube. The neural tube is the precursor to the spinal cord and brain.
Nakakeeto says spina bifida, the most common birth defect, affects the neural tube (also called open spine). It appears in 1-2 births every month.
In the embryo, if the ribbon of tissue that folds inward to form the neural tube by the 28th day does not close, defects in the spinal cord and in the vertebrae (small bones of the spine) can result.
Research has shown that these defects can easily be prevented if women took folic acid before and during pregnancy.
In Uganda, there are about 1.2 million pregnancies every year. But according to the Uganda Demographic Health Survey report of 2006, 49% of the women in Uganda were anaemic.
Many Ugandan women do not plan their pregnancies, therefore are unlikely to benefit from the habit of taking folic acid before and during early pregnancy.
Dr. Geofrey Alia, a gynaecologist at Mulago Hospital, says as the foetus develops the neural tube differentiates into more specialised areas, separating into the brain and the spinal cord, and different nerve cells, brain and spinal tissue.
Taking folic acid significantly increases the chance of cell division proceeding correctly. Nakakeeto says every woman planning to get pregnant should take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, either in a supplement or foods that have been enriched with it.
When pregnant, the dosage should be increased to at least 600 mcg, however your doctor may recommend 1,000 mcg.
Studies also show that 400mcg of folic acid a day maintains a healthy heart by lowering homocysteine levels in the blood, a recently identified risk factor for heart disease.
Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, thus the body will flush out any excess quantities, making overdosing a non-issue. Alia says, all women of childbearing age should take folic acid daily to increase its effectiveness especially during unplanned pregnancies.
Some women do not realise they are pregnant until several weeks later, by which time the crucial development phase for the brain and spinal cord of the foetus has passed.
Nakakeeto adds that during the first month of pregnancy when the baby’s organs are developing, there is need for folic acid to complete the closure of the spinal column.
“It is possible for women to get their daily dose through foods. However, the body absorbs the synthetic faster than the natural form. The best way to get the proper amount is in form of a synthetic supplement,†Nakakeeto says.
A few other sources of folic acid: dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli; fortified breads and breakfast cereals; beans, and peanuts and orange juice.
Nakakeeto says the signs of folic acid deficiency are diarrhoea, loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness, a sore tongue, headaches, heart palpitations and irritability.
“If you are mildly deficient, you may not notice any symptoms. That is why all women of childbearing age need to take folic acid,†she says.
Couples who have had a baby with spina bifida or any other NTD stand an increased risk of having another affected baby.
Alia says, many women do not understand the importance of regular folic acid intake and how without it they put their unborn child at risk before they have even conceived.