Pregnancy - First Trimester

anita665 · Mar 22nd, 2008, 14:44 PM

I didn't take any before I got pregnant. Even afterwards I'd sometimes go weeks at a time forgetting to take them. I did get worried too.

I know that you're told to take folic acid for the first 12 weeks but most neural tube defects occur in the first 6 weeks of pregnancy (or 4 weeks after conception). The neural tube actually closes at 5 or 6 weeks of pregnancy & lots of women won't even know they're pregnant at this point and if they weren't trying they won't have been likely to have taken anything.

anita665 · Mar 22nd, 2008, 14:49 PM

I found some interesting figures on a webite:

Quote:

The causes of neural tube defects are not completely understood. However, it is thought they can be caused by a combination of genetic (or inherited) factors, as well as environmental factors (such as folic acid intake and diet). This has become evident by how widely different countries, as well as geographical areas within one country, will experience babies developing neural tube defects. For example, neural tube defects are more common in Northern Ireland and Scotland (4 to 6 per 1,000), than in the south of England (less than 1 per 1,000) in the UK, and are 6 times more common in the northern provinces of China (6 per 1,000), when compared to China's southern provinces (1 per thousand). The USA has relatively low rates of neural tube defects (about 1 to 1.5 per 1,000) and Japan has less than 1 per 1,000 births. New Zealand has a rate of about 1.7 per 1,000 (with neural tube defects being quite low in the Maori population). In Australia, the incidence is about 1.6 to 2 per 1,000 births (or 0.0016 to 0.002%). This equates to about 400 to 500 babies detected with a neural tube defect each year.

Who would have thought the figures in Ireland and Scotland would be so much higher than England!

ella170 · Mar 22nd, 2008, 15:23 PM

well since im from london i think i can relax a LITTLE bit more lol

violet 73 · Mar 24th, 2008, 09:29 AM

hi don,t mean to scare anyone but just a bit of advice i would advise anyone who is preg or even trying to take folic acid as its very important ive been taking mine every day since i started ttc & its taken me 26 months to concieve , i had to terminate a baby in 1993 due to a neutal tube defect , but i had a poor diet didn,t eat much & only weighed 6 & a half stone , so anyone who isn,t taken folic acid i would advise you to take it as long as your not over 12 weeks then its never too late to take it , alot of ladies don,t take it & there babies are fine i put mine down to poor diet . violet xx

coccyx · Mar 24th, 2008, 09:34 AM

Its cheap to buy and easy to take so I do not see why you would not take it. Theres a lot of info on a good diet in pregnancy which helps iron and folic acid levels.

Vickie · Mar 24th, 2008, 14:38 PM

Like the others said you should go ahead and start taking it immediately, it is important. But don't worry about not taking it before, a lot of girls have surprise pregnancy's and haven't taken any folic acid or prenatal vitamins, had a poor diet, etc and still have healthy babies.

mummy_of_two · Mar 24th, 2008, 16:16 PM

Hi my doc advised me to take folic acid for the first 12 weeks as it was impotant to the developement of the unborn baby. Im also taking along side this vitamin c.

tinkerbell123 · Mar 24th, 2008, 21:18 PM

Ive been ttc for 14 months now and have been taken it for 3 months now as i went to docs for check up to make sure everything is fine and she rec to take it whist ttc as spina bif happens within weeks of concieving.. unfortunalty had m/c last months but still going to try thiss month x

Pregnancy - First Trimester

folic acid help!!!

Pregnancy Forums