San Clemente Pregnancy - Folic Acid Prevents Birth Defects

American Women at Risk: Help Protect Your Unborn Baby Against Birth Defects

Although Americans are more health conscious than ever, consuming millions of dollars’ worth of vitamins and nutritional supplements a year, it is a sad irony that so many American women are deficient in a simple vitamin that could protect their future children from birth defects. These neural tube birth defects can be severe, and include conditions such as spina bifida and anencephaly, or malformations of the brain and skull. Folic acid is the critical vitamin that works to prevent such defects. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates folic acid can help reduce the risk of spina bifida by a whopping 70 percent.

 Folic acid does its remarkable preventative work in the earliest stages of pregnancy, and it is even before a woman knows she is pregnant that folic acid becomes so important to help the development of the unborn child. That is why the CDC recommends women who may someday become pregnant take 400 micrograms a day (“400 mcg”) of folic acid. Taking folic acid well before planning a pregnancy is key, since statistically one-half of all pregnancies are unplanned surprises. Folic acid is an ingredient in most multivitamins, as well as many fortified breakfast cereals, and it is a simple matter to check the label for the recommended amount of 400 mcg.

How folic acid works to protect against neural tube defects is a mystery, but its effectiveness is well-established. Furthermore, it is clear that folic acid has health benefits for women of all ages, and may offer protection concerning conditions such as certain cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and even depression. For further information, you can go online to the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov and look up FAQs about folic acid.

So remember to take your multivitamin, or enjoy a bowl of Life or Total for breakfast, and know that you have taken a stand in the fight against birth defects.

The San Clemente Pregnancy Resource Center, a faith-based nonprofit organization offering help for women in crisis, understands the vital role of folic acid in pregnancy, and assistance offered to those facing an unplanned pregnancy includes initial supplies of prenatal vitamins. The Center also provides free pregnancy tests, free ultrasound exams, and free counseling on topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy prevention, adoption placement and parenting, and abortion risks and procedures. In addition, the Center offers abortion recovery support groups. It is open Monday–Wednesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Thursday, 1 p.m.–7 p.m., and Friday 10 a.m.–1 p.m. It is located at 1450 N. El Camino Real, Suite B, San Clemente, California, phone number is 949.218.5777. Their website is www.sanclementepregnancy.com.