Читать книгу Safe Food: What to eat and drink in pregnancy - Rosie Dodds - Страница 40

Important: if you suffer from epilepsy, it is important to see your doctor before taking a folic acid supplement. Better still talk to him or her before you become pregnant.

Our bodies need folic acid (sometimes called folate) to make DNA. DNA carries the genetic information that controls the correct development and function of every single cell in our bodies. When you are pregnant, you need extra folic acid – especially in the first 12 weeks while your baby’s body is being formed.

Insufficient folic acid at this time can contribute to problems with the neural tube of your developing baby. The neural tube develops in the very early weeks of pregnancy. It eventually forms your baby’s brain and spinal cord (the long bundle of nerves inside our backbones that connects our brains with the rest of our bodies). You may have seen, or heard, the abbreviation NTD – this stands for neural tube defect. The most common type of neural tube defect is spina bifida. If you decide to have an ultrasound scan during your pregnancy, your baby’s spine will be checked for signs of spina bifida.

Although NTDs are rare, the UK government advises all pregnant women to take folic acid supplements and eat more foods rich in folic acid. Extra folic acid is particularly important for women who have already had a baby with a neural tube problem.