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Why pregnant women should take folic acid during pregnancy
Folic acid is a very important supplement that all pregnant women should start taking immediately they get pregnant. Experts have even advised women who are trying to get pregnant to take folic acid.
Folic acid is also known as vitamin B9 or, folate. Folate can be gotten from foods like, spinach and orange. They can equally be derived from folic acid supplements.
Folate plays an important role in the production of red blood cells, it also protects the unborn child from birth defects and ensures that the baby develops properly.
Here Are Five Reasons Why All Pregnant Women Should Take Folic Acid During Their Pregnancy
1. It Prevents The Unborn Baby From Having Neural Defects: neural birth defects are birth defects that causes the brain and spinal cord of an unborn child not to develop properly.
The neural tubes of unborn babies whose mothers did not take folic acid may not close properly which can cause, neural defects like, spina bifida and anencephaly which birth defects. These defects causes the incomplete development of the child’s brain and spinal cord.
2. Premature Birth: babies are meant to spend 40 weeks in their mother’s womb. However, a child who is 37 weeks can be born without problem. But, a child that is born before 37 weeks is considered to be born prematurely.
Although, with the right amount of care babies born at 21 weeks can survive it is best to, avoid premature birth. Women who donot take folate during pregnancy are at a higher risk to deliver prematurely.
3. Poor Growth In The Womb: thanks to the advancement of science and technology, we now know how children develop in the womb and the size they should be at each stage of development. The growth of a foetus can be monitored through ultrasounds.
Women who do not take folate during their pregnancy are risking their babies prenatal development because, it can cause the baby to develop at a very slow pace which is bad.
4. Miscarriage: having a miscarriage is the nightmare of every expectant mother. Miscarriage is an involuntary termination of a pregnancy.
Taking folic acid before and during pregnancy helps to drastically reduces a woman’s risk of having a miscarriage.
5. Low Birth Weight: when babies are born they are meant to have a certain weight. Babies that have the right weight are considered to be healthy, while babies who are not up to the required weight are considered to have a low birth weight which is unhealthy.
Studies have shown that, taking folic acid during pregnancy can reduce the chances of a baby being underweight.