Before getting pregnant and during the first weeks of pregnancy it is essential to ingest a daily dose of folic acid. It is a vitamin of the B complex, which prevents birth defects in the brain and spinal cord.
It is very important to take it on time because the formation of the neural tube begins before the woman knows she is pregnant.
The most common congenital neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. The spina bifida It occurs when the lower part of the neural tube does not close properly. As a consequence, the spine and spine do not develop properly. 80 percent of children born with spina bifida manage to survive despite suffering varying degrees of disability. The anencephaly It is a deadly condition in which the upper end of the neural tube does not close properly. In these cases the brain never fully develops or simply does not exist, so the pregnancy ends in abortion or the baby dies shortly after birth. This vitamin reduces the risk, but apart from the lack of folic acid there may be other causes for which a baby is born with congenital neural tube defects.
Folic acid can be found in some foods such as cereals, fruits or legumes, but not all contain sufficient doses. Therefore, if you plan a pregnancy, visit your gynecologist who will prescribe the necessary dose.
It is also proven that folic acid prevents the risk of heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer in the mother.
The effort of taking a daily pill is minimal comparable to the benefit you can make to your child.
