Folic Acid Before Pregnancy

12. The effect on the blood folate levels were that the exposed group had lower levels of folate left in the blood.

With this effect on adolescent mothers they would have to go through iron therapy that is suboptimal. Also there may be some “completion” for nutrients between the fetus and the adolescent during pregnancy. Adolescent mothers are more likely to have other medical complications associated with adolescent pregnancy include poor maternal weight gain, anemia, and pregnancy-induced hypertension which is high blood pressure than women in their 20s or 30s. Aside from there are other problems such as preeclampsia, which is a dangerous medical condition that combines high blood pressure with excess protein in the urine that causes swelling to the hands, face, and organ damages.

In Canada, a clinical study by De Wals et al was performed to assess whether or not folic acid fortification has an effect on the recurrence of NTDs (neural tube defects), especially on upper and lower birth defects called spina bifida (De Wals et al., 2008). The study was performed in three different regions in Canada: the eastern, western and central provinces (De Wals et al., 2008). Furthermore, the population of the study was conducted on three different types of births which were livebirths, stillbirths, and termination of pregnancies, and the study was carried out through three periods included prefortification, partial fortification and full fortifications (De Wals et al., 2008). The researchers followed the scientific investigation

According to this chart, more than half of the babies born during this experiment were born with neural tube defects. This result was skewed because all but three of the babies born to the group that did not take folic acid until after conception were born with

The benefits of increasing folic acid intake prior to and during pregnancy are to prevent birth defects of the baby’s brain and spinal

Folic acid plays many important roles in the body. There is no doubting that it is essential. The reason that we need a constant stream of it is because it is not stored in large quantities in the body. It is water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins are stored for longer in our system. When ingested, the body uses what it can and the rest comes out in urine, in very little time the body will need more. We discussed how pregnant women get a proven benefit, and studies continue on its role in reducing risks of other diseases, but regardless of what additional benefits are found, it is clear that without folic acid in our bodies, we would not be alive. Folic acid aids in the production of red blood cells and the synthesis of DNA and RNA. Folate even has a role in the digestive system! It works with vitamins B12 and C to help the body digest and synthesize proteins. Lastly, folic acid helps tissues grow and cells function, it is an integral part of the body working as it should.

My physician explained that with the mutation I would need to consume folate3 naturally, take vitamins that do not contain folic acid, and remove gluten4 from my diet as most manufactured foods contain gluten and also have folic acid in the product. Jones research from 2012 confirms my physician’s explanation and recommendation in his research, expounding that folic acid is used in enriched foods5 in the production process of adding micronutrients6 to food and supplements. I left that day wondering if there was more to the effects of the MTHFR gene and wanted an in-depth understanding of the gene, its processing cycle, and the effects on the human body, as well as how folic acid is related to gluten consumption, and why gluten contributes to my

However the professor explains that the pregnant women need to eat substantial amount of bread to get adequate amount of folic acid. He states that there is a concern about the adult population who eat additional amount of folic acid in their diet, those people are going to face serious problems like pre neoplastic tumor. If they add a regular amount of folic acid in their diet, they will not face any adverse effect.

Folic acid is a vitamin that is used by the body to create new cells and keep the blood healthy. Everyone needs folic acid to stay healthy. It is especially important if you are pregnant.

The answer is that the commencement of human life is with the growing and multiplying of cells. Overtime this growing and multiplying of cells begin to form human features and functions. And if your body doesn’t have enough Folic Acid then this cell life cycle is weak and can reduce the chances of the survival of the embryo.

In pregnancy the body needs to produce cells to help with the development and nourishment of the growing fetus; it also helps to make red blood cells . During pregnancy, risks can be associated with toxaemia, premature birth and haemorrhaging if there is no folic acid in the diet (Youngson, 2005). Folic acid contributes to several major biological processes and these include the combination of RNA, DNA and proteins. It is needed to help with the repair and replication of DNA and the maintenance of the genome and it is also involved in the regulation of gene expression (Hendler & Rorvik, 2008).

In this paper the article entitled “Gold kiwifruit consumed with an iron-fortified breakfast cereal meal improves iron status in women with low iron stores: a 16-week randomised controlled trial” by Beck et al., 2010 will be critically appraised. This article investigates whether women’s Fe status could be improved by consuming a Fe-fortified breakfast cereal and milk with gold kiwifruit (high in ascorbic acid, lutein and zeaxanthin) compared with consuming the same breakfast with banana (low in ascorbic acid, lutein and zeaxanthin) with low Fe stores, each day for 16 days. Iron deficiency is a common health problem with symptoms such as fatigue, lack of concentration, weakness, headache, and increased risk of infection. Women are at greatest risk of developing iron deficiency due to monthly menstrual blood loss and increased needs during pregnancy. A Fe-fortified breakfast cereal that enhances absorption and improves Fe status is an easy approach to address iron deficiency and its symptoms in women. A critical evaluation of the study to show its validity is therefore useful.

There are numerous health concerns when carrying a fetus. Diet and exercise are crucial when pregnant; the mother is now in control of the nutrition that is implemented to the fetus However, it is essential for those who are expecting to maintain their exercise regime before the pregnancy. “The mother’s nutrition can have a strong influence on the development of the fetus” (Santrock, 2016, p.82). When a woman is pregnant; the percentage of vitamins increase to 50 percent more than usual, sufficient vitamins and nutrients can prevent preterm babies. Janice consistently chooses her prenatal chewable tablets and vitamins as an active role in her prenatal care, maintaining a healthy pregnancy. However, there are parental factors other than maternal which can damage the fetus if the father is exposed to harmful chemicals or even drugs. “Men’s exposure to lead, radiation, certain pesticides and petrochemicals may cause abnormalities in sperm that lead to miscarriage or diseases” (Santrock, 2016, p.97).

Neural tube deficiency happens in about 80,000 and 100,000 pregnancies in China. It causes the offspring to be born with defects of the brain, spine, or spinal cord. They happen in the first month of pregnancy and both genetic and environments contribute to the cause. Numerous prospective, retrospective and controlled trial studies have suggested proper folic acid supplementation for pregnant women can reduce the incidence of NTDs in their offspring. Association between folic acid supplementation or dietary folate intake and NTDs risk may be affected by maternal body mass index. Studies have suggested the risk of NTDs in offspring among obese mothers have not decreased. Body mass index greater than 31kg is at risk of delivering an offspring with NTDs. Other studies find more than 400mg of folate intake from diet per day is only protective against NTDs in women who weigh less than 154.3Ibs. A total of 459 pairs of participants took part in the study: 259 pairs were from Shandong Province and 200 pairs were from Shanxi Province. Mothers who gave birth to healthy infants in the same area, same hospital and within the same time as the another group was the controlled groups. The mothers were separated by Underweight/normal weight BMI less than 24.0 and overweight/obese mothers BMI greater than 24.0. Given folic acid was defined as taking 0.4mg of a folic acid tablet and categorized folic acid supplementation into four groups: never used, preconception use, use within 3 months

Neural tube defects have a very negative impact on our society. Adding folic acid to our food will have positive social implications because it will reduce the occurrence of babies diagnosed with NTDs. Since the USA’s mandatory fortification of folic acid in 1998, statistics have revealed that there are approximately 1300 less NTD cases than pre-fortification statistics indicated.10 This would significantly benefit families who would instead have healthy babies, saving them the emotional distress of having a child with an NTD and allowing them to live without the high demands and healthcare costs involved with caring for a child with an NTD. This will also impact the wider society, as babies with NTDs have a large impact on society due to the significant costs to the health and disability sectors. A reduction in the number of babies requiring lifelong care will save society millions of dollars and will greatly improve the quality of life of the babies themselves.