"For richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health," are some of the most common words heard in wedding vows. But what is often overlooked is the health of the married couple’s future children. According to the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, brides-to-be should start thinking about saying "I do" to taking a daily multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid daily, to protect their own health and the health of their children-to-be.
Folic acid supplements should be started before the likelihood of pregnancy.
Folate (or folic acid) is an essential B-vitamin that helps build and maintain healthy cells, which is especially critical for the developing fetus. Studies have shown that if taken before and during early pregnancy, folic acid can significantly reduce the number of birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects (NTDs) by up to 70%.
"We know that nearly half of all pregnancies in the US are unplanned and that the average woman is getting less than one-third of the recommended amount of folic acid," says Elizabeth T. Jordan, DNSc, RNC, a perinatal clinical nurse specialist. "We also know that the odds of having a baby born with an NTD could be greatly reduced by women of childbearing age getting the recommended amount of folic acid." The easiest way to reduce the risk of having a baby born with an NTD is for women to begin taking a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid today â " not after they become pregnant, says Dr. Jordan.
"The neural tube begins to close within the first month of gestation, often before a woman realizes she is pregnant."
Want to remind a bride-to-be of the importance of taking a daily multivitamin with folic acid? Send a free e-postcard from the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies site at www.hmhb.org.
Source: National Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Coalition, Dec 2008
