Why Folic Acid?

My dear friend comes to me with few very basic and important questions and I think it is nice to jot down and share with you all here. :)

My Questions:

Eh moni,

Does your doctor ask you to take folic acid? or you take on your own?
You take it before or only when you are pregnant?
what is it for ler?

My Reply:

Eh friend,

I take on my own when I'm planning for a baby. Then after first time checkup, the doctor asks me to continue taking folic acid during pregnancy wor. For me, folic acid is important to increase the chance of having a healthy baby.

My Explaination:

First of all, I would like to briefly explain what is folic acid. Folic acid, sometimes called folate, is a B vitamin (B9) found mostly in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, orange juice, and enriched grains.

Folic acid is needed for the development of healthy red blood cells. Women who get enough folic acid daily before having baby and during early pregnancy will reduce the risk that their baby will be born with a serious neural tube defect (a birth defect involving incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord) by up to 70%. The baby's neural tube is completely formed by the fourth week of pregnancy - when many women have not even realised they are pregnant.

So, it is best to start taking folic acid supplements while preparing for pregnancy or as soon as a woman realises she is pregnant.