Folic Acid : important nutrient in pregnancy

Have you ever heard about anencefali baby?

It must be something we do not expect and of course very sad for the birth. Anencefali baby cause of deficincy of folic acid while pregnancy. Let us learn about folic acid.

Folic acid (also known as Vitamin B9 or folacin) and folate (natural form) is a soluble vitamin B9 in the water. Vitamin B9 is essential for various body functions ranging from nukleotid to remetilasi homocysteine synthesis. This vitamin is especially important during the period of cell division and growth. Children and adults need folic acid to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. Folate and folic acid gets its name from the Latin word folium (leaf). Folic acid deficiency is very influential in the development of the nervous system of the main fetal brain and spine.

If the development of primary nervous system is interrupted, it will affect fetal development, namely the formation of the bones of the head, including the face (causing cleft), the hormone system (in girls, in later adulthood may not menstruate) and the development of central intelligence (learning disorders .) In addition, also resulted in the motor system (having paralyzed, unable to walk upright), there is no control to defecate and urinate and presence of cardiac disorders.

In pregnant women themselves, folic acid plays an important role in the formation of red blood cells. That is why pregnant women folic acid deficiency, generally also suffer from anemia with all the consequences (looks pale and easily tired, lethargic and weak). In fact, also at risk of preterm labor, placenta prematurely separated (solusio plasentae) and miscarriage.

Adequacy of folic acid in the first weeks of pregnancy until the fourth play a very important role in fetal growth. Folic acid deficiency at the time can cause birth defects in the brain and spinal cord baby or Neural Tube Defects (NTD). The need for folate can be filled with lots of eating green vegetables and fresh fruits, but because 80 percent of folate is lost during the cooking process, pregnant women are strongly encouraged to consume folate-rich fruits like watermelon, kiwi, and banana or folate supplements many market

In America, every year about 4,000 pregnancies have NTD. Of these, approximately 2,500 babies born with NTD suffer.

United States Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reported that foods rich in Folic acid proven to prevent the occurrence of NTD by 70 percent. NTD risk could be avoided if pregnant women consume enough foods containing folate.  

Three Forms of Neural Tube Defect
1. Spina bifida - a gap in the spine that can not be closed perfectly akbiat linking several sections of bone failure. Defects of this type quite a lot happening among pregnant women who had folic acid deficiency, which is 65%. Although able to survive, but the baby's spina bifida is often accompanied by other abnormalities such as paralysis and no control for large and small bowel.
2. Anencefali - incomplete skull and brain growth. The kind that often carry the death once the baby is born, experienced by about 25% of pregnant women with folic acid deficiency.
3. Encephalocele - a bulge in the back of the head. This type affects about 10% of maternal folic acid deficiency.

 
How Knowing Fetal Neural Tube Defect?
Through an ultrasound examination (ultrasonography) around pregnancy week 12 or the 13. For the case of spina bifida are preferred programs in Indonesia is prevention and early detection. Generally, spina bifida does not stand alone, but the fetus also contained some other major congenital abnormalities, such as having paralyzed and have no control to dispose of water that makes life very bad future. That is why, the doctor will try to provide counseling to mothers and families concerned about the possibility of termination of pregnancy as early as possible.

In addition, neural tube defects in the fetus was also recurring in subsequent pregnancies. This is because the trigger is not the only defect of folic acid deficiency, but also several other factors, such as heredity (genetic), obese people, diabetics who are highly dependent on insulin or patients with epilepsy and taking drugs that inhibit the absorption of folic acid .

Women who took extra folic 2-3 months before and in early pregnancy can reduce the risk of birth defects in infants with brain

Folic acid appears to have another benefit that is preventing the occurrence of preeclampsia. Recent research from Canada (University of Ottawa led Dr. Shi Wu) showed that folic acid is about 63% lower incidence of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is also called toxemia is a condition that can be experienced by any pregnant woman. The disease is characterized by increased blood pressure which was followed by increased levels of protein in the urine. Pregnant women with preeclampsia also experience swelling in the feet and hands. Preeclampsia generally appear in mid-gestation, although in some cases there were found in early pregnancy. State of preeclampsia could be Eclampsia berlanjt. A very dangerous situation.
Eclampsia is a condition of continuation of preeclampsia are not resolved properly. In addition to experiencing symptoms of preeclampsia, in women affected by eclampsia are also often suffer from seizures seizures. Eclampsia can cause coma or even death of either before, during or after childbirth
Therefore, in those who had and still have, should be more careful. It is recommended that before the next pregnancy, they consume a minimum of 0.4 mg of folic acid per day for approximately 3-4 months before planning a pregnancy.

Based on international standards, pregnant women need about 600 micrograms of folic acid per day or 50 percent more than non-pregnant women. But 80 percent Folic acid is lost during the cooking process. So often consume green vegetables and fresh fruits that contain lots of folic acid to be less effective. Therefore, pregnant women are encouraged to eat foods fortified with folic acid. One type of food that has been enriched with folic acid is milk.