Folic acid During Pregnancy:

Folic acid is a vitamin essential in pregnancy. Its main function, the most widespread, is to prevent neural tube birth defects, which originates the central nervous system, but according to new research also would prevent delays in the language of the baby. Among the anomalies that folic acid helps to prevent, which most often occur whenever there is a neural tube defect is spine bifida or anencephaly. Both occur by a failure in the formation of the spinal cord in the first month of pregnancy. Hence the recommendation to take folic acid three months before pregnancy, to ensure that reserves of this vitamin are sufficient at the time, before many women know they are pregnant.

But folic acid could be even more useful than previously thought. Because according to have observed a group of researchers from the Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway, Folic acid intake from four weeks prior to conception until at least eight weeks of gestation is associated with a lower risk of language delay in the baby. The authors of the study tracked nearly 39,000 children and found that those lower risks of presenting language delay were the children of participants who had taken folic acid in early pregnancy. It is too early to say that there is a causal relationship, but if any, could prevent many disorders through dietary supplements in women of reproductive age.

It is strongly believed in this hypothesis, since folic acid is considered a “food for the cells,” an aide for cell division, so it makes sense that their role is important in various stages of development, experts says. Of course, in view of all related investigations folic acid, the latter including suggesting that also serves to prevent delays in the baby’s language, it is essential to start taking a daily supplement from the time pregnancy is planned ideally three months before conception.