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Being able to have a healthy baby simply means ensuring that you are healthy as well. Among the vital things to do in preventing severe birth defects for your baby is by getting sufficient folic acid on a daily basis. This is true particularly prior conception and during the early stages of pregnancy.

Importance of Folic Acid

Folate or Folic Acid is a type of Vitamin B that is mostly found in dark green veggies such as spinach and broccoli and legumes similar to peas and beans as well as enriched grains.

Advantages of taking Folic Acid

Pregnant women or those who are trying to become pregnant must get a minimum of 400 micrograms or .4 milligrams of folic acid on a daily basis before conception and for the next 3 months afterwards.

Studies showed as well that this will significantly reduce the risk of a baby from having serious neural tube defects.

The neural tube defects are basically a kind of birth defect involving incomplete development of spinal cord and brain. Very common neural tube defects include the following:

  • Spina Bifida – this is when the spinal cord and the spinal column do not close completely
  • Anencephaly – it’s a serious underdevelopment of brain
  • Encephalocele – if the brain tissues protrude out to skin via opening in skull