Published: January 7, 2019
January 8-14, 2019 is Folic Acid Awareness Week. The National Birth Defects Prevention Network promotes this week to increase awareness of the importance of consuming enough folic acid, particularly for pregnant women. Folic acid is a B-vitamin that is necessary for proper cell growth. If taken before and during early pregnancy from a multi-vitamin or fortified foods, folic acid can prevent from 50% up to 70% of some forms of serious birth defects of the brain and spine. Experts recommend that women who may become pregnant should take 400 micrograms of synthetic folic acid daily, by:
-
taking a daily multi-vitamin or folic acid supplement
-
eating fortified foods like grains, pastas, or breakfast cereals
-
including a variety of foods as part of a healthy diet
The easiest way to be sure to get the recommended daily amount of folic acid is to take a multi-vitamin every day. More info at: cdc.gov WHA has more info at our Pre-Pregnancy Checklist For more information about women’s wellness visit mywha.org/womenswellness.