What Is Folic Acid and Why Does Your Baby Need it?
Folic acid is a naturally occurring B vitamin that helps a baby's neural tube—the part of a developing baby that becomes the brain and spinal cord—develop properly. It must be taken before and during early pregnancy when the neural tube is developing.

The best way to get enough folic acid is to take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid in it and eat a healthy diet. Most multivitamins have this amount, but check the label to be sure. You also can get folic acid in your diet, but it's hard to get enough every day through food alone. That's why the March of Dimes encourages all women of childbearing age to take a multivitamin containing folic acid every day as part of a healthy diet.

Folic acid works, but it only works if taken before and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, when the neural tube is developing into the brain and spinal cord. When the neural tube does not close properly, a baby is born with a very serious birth defect called a neural tube defect. About 2,500 children are born each year in the United States with a neural tube defect. If all women took adequate folic acid before conception and during pregnancy, the number of babies born with a neural tube defect could drop by as much as 70 percent.

Folic Acid in Foods
Folic acid is found in the following foods:

• Fortified breakfast cereals such as Total and Product 19
• Lentils
• Asparagus
• Spinach
• Black beans
• Peanuts (only if you do not have a peanut allergy)
• Orange juice (from concentrate is best)
• Enriched breads and pasta
• Romaine lettuce
• Broccoli

Folic Acid Is Good for Mom and Dad Too
In recent years, doctors have come to realize that folic acid is very important for everyone in maintaining health. It has long been known that folic acid plays an important role in the production of normal red blood cells. More recent studies suggest that folic acid may help prevent heart disease, stroke and certain cancers, especially colon cancer. While these studies have not proven a protective effect, they suggest that many people may benefit from taking folic acid.

A Personal Story
Jody and Jerry Adams know first-hand why taking folic acid is so important. Jody didn't know about folic acid during her first pregnancy. "I got prenatal care, ate a nutritious diet, didn't drink alcohol, didn't smoke, and didn't use any medications without consulting my doctor," Jody says. But in the 24th week of her pregnancy, an ultrasound confirmed that her baby had died of a neural tube defect. She and Jerry were devastated.

While still in the hospital, however, Jody learned about folic acid and began taking a vitamin supplement right away. "A few months later, I was pregnant again. On April 22, 1990, Kelsey was born. She was saved by folic acid." In 1999, Kelsey served as the March of Dimes National Ambassador; she and her parents traveled around the country to tell other families about the importance of folic acid.