What is the use of folic acid during pregnancy?

folic acid supplement is often given to pregnant mothers what role does it play,on the body and could it be harmful to the unborn baby,could it be the cause of some skin condition on a newly born child or what could be the reason for a newly born child to suffer from eczema??

What is the use of folic acid during pregnancy?
In a round-about way, the above answer is basically saying that folic acid prevents a specific birth defect called spina bifida, which is when the spinal column is not closed and requires surgery to close it. It can be severe enough to cause permanent, life-long disability and paralysis.
Reply:Folic Acid is a critical part of spinal fluid and helps close the tube housing the central nervous system; also helps synthesize DNA and normalize brain function.
Reply:What you need to know:


Folic acid, a B vitamin, helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord when taken very early in pregnancy. It is available in most multivitamins, as a folic acid-only supplement and in some foods.





Some studies suggest that folic acid may also protect women and men from stroke, colon cancer and breast cancer.





What you can do:


Take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before pregnancy and during early pregnancy, as part of a healthy diet.





Eat a healthy diet that includes foods that contain folate, the natural form of the vitamin. Such foods include fortified breakfast cereals, dried beans, leafy green vegetables and orange juice.





If you have already had a pregnancy affected by a birth defect of the brain or spinal cord, ask your health care provider how much folic acid you need. Studies have shown that taking a larger dose of folic acid daily can reduce the risk of having another affected pregnancy. The larger dose needs to be taken at least one month before pregnancy and in the first trimester of pregnancy. The recommended dose is 4 milligrams (4,000 micrograms).





Take Folic Acid Before You're Pregnant








What Is Folic Acid and Why Does Your Baby Need it?


Folic acid is a naturally occurring B vitamin that helps a baby's neural tube—the part of a developing baby that becomes the brain and spinal cord—develop properly. It must be taken before and during early pregnancy when the neural tube is developing.





The best way to get enough folic acid is to take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid in it and eat a healthy diet. Most multivitamins have this amount, but check the label to be sure. You also can get folic acid in your diet, but it's hard to get enough every day through food alone. That's why the March of Dimes encourages all women of childbearing age to take a multivitamin containing folic acid every day as part of a healthy diet.





Folic acid works, but it only works if taken before and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, when the neural tube is developing into the brain and spinal cord. When the neural tube does not close properly, a baby is born with a very serious birth defect called a neural tube defect (NTD). About 3,000 pregnancies are affected by NTDs each year in the United States. If all women took adequate folic acid before conception and during pregnancy, up to 70 percent of NTDs could be prevented.


Folic acid has no known toxic level. If you ate a bowl of fully fortified cereal (400 micrograms), took a folic acid supplement (400 micrograms), and ate fortified foods and foods rich in folate, you would not get too much folic acid. Even in very high amounts, folic acid is non-toxic. Still, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that women consume no more than 1,000 micrograms of synthetic folic acid a day





Folic Acid in Foods


Folic acid is found in the following foods:





Fortified breakfast cereals such as Total and Product 19


Lentils


Asparagus


Spinach


Black beans


Peanuts (only if you do not have a peanut allergy)


Orange juice (from concentrate is best)


Enriched breads and pasta


Romaine lettuce


Broccoli


Folic Acid Is Good for Mom and Dad Too


In recent years, doctors have come to realize that folic acid is very important for everyone in maintaining health. It has long been known that folic acid plays an important role in the production of normal red blood cells. More recent studies suggest that folic acid may help prevent stroke, colon and breast cancer.
Reply:Folic Acid is one of the most essential vitamins needed for the development of your baby. The lack of folic acid will risk your baby from spinia bifida and even orofacial cleft. I am 6 weeks pregnant now and is taking folic acid 5mg daily together with other essential vitamins.





Eating the right amount of food like fruits and vegetables coupled with the right vitamins will help develop a healthy baby. Skin problems for newborn babies occur if the mothers themselves lack the essential nutrients. So eat healthy food and sleep early. Good luck to both of us.
Reply:Folic acid plays an important role in DNA synthesis. It ovoids the malformation of new reproductive cells causing some serious birth defects called nueral tube defects such as spina bifida and annencephaly. It should be taken 2-3 months before conception. Spina bifida is the incomplete closure of neural tube any where in the spinal chord, and requires surgery to the new born baby. It can be mild to severe causing life long disabilites. Annencephaly is uniformly fatal, it is the incomplete closure of nueral tube at the cephalic end of the tube and it is incompatible with life. Annencephalic babies wont survive more than 3 days and it is a devastating disorder. Women who affected with spina bifida and annencephaly in previous pregnancy should take 5 mg of folic acid along with vitamin b12 and vitamin b6 to avoid the recurrence. Folic acid helps 70% of this birth defects although not completely eliminate the risk. More over folic acid prevents miscarriages, heart attack, cancer and other health defects. More over folic acid has no toxic level and it will not cause any harmful to your baby, rather it does good things to u and your new born baby. Contact your health care provider for more details.
Reply:Helps prevent Neural tube defects and Spina Bifida. No bad side effects.