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Treatment may include dietary changes and folic acid supplements. [1] Dietary changes including eating foods high in folate such as, fruits and green leafy vegetables can help. [1] Prevention is recommended for pregnant women or those who are planning a pregnancy. [1] Folate deficiency is very rare in countries with folic acid fortification ...
Folic acid, which is the synthetic form of the vitamin folate, is critical both in pre- and peri-conception. [7] Deficiencies in folic acid may cause neural tube defects (NTDs). Women who had 0.4 mg of folic acid in their systems due to supplementing 3 months before childbirth significantly reduced the risk of NTDs. [29]
The new legislation will require millers to add folic acid to non-wholemeal wheat flour from the end of 2026. Folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 and is also known as folate.
The recommendation to start folic acid before conception is supported by a meta-analysis of 41 studies, but is beneficial after conception as well. [ 2 ] Often prenatal vitamins also have a reduced dosage of vitamins that may be detrimental to the fetus when taken in high doses (such as vitamin A ).
Anemias due to other deficiencies such as folic acid or vitamin B12 can also be treated with supplementation as well; dose may vary based on level of deficiency. [32] Other forms of anemias, such as inherited or acquired anemias prior to pregnancy, will require continuous management during pregnancy as well. [29]
To prevent problems like dehydration and constipation, it is important to drink enough fluids, especially water, to support blood volume increases during pregnancy. [32] It is recommended to accompany regular meals with a daily prenatal vitamin supplement that has sufficient folic acid and iron content. [30]
Folic acid should not be used for the treatment of HFM. Folic acid is not a physiological folate. It binds tightly to, and may impede, FRα-mediated endocytosis which plays an important role in the transport of folates across the choroid plexus into the CSF (see above). [30] [22] For a further consideration of treatment see GeneReviews. [5]
The role of folic acid during pregnancy is vital to normal development of the nervous system in the fetus. A deficiency in folate levels of a pregnant woman could potentially result in neural tube disorder , a debilitating condition in which the tubes of the central nervous system do not fuse entirely. [ 126 ]