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Supplementation with folic acid is mandatory before and during pregnancy, says expert

03/09/2012

This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.



 


Recommendation Febrasgo aims to prevent risk of anencephaly and other health problems baby
 
The guidance is clear: consume 400 micrograms of folic acid a day one month before conception and during the first three months of pregnancy. Thus, Febrasgo (Brazilian Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) aims to reduce by 85% the risk of neural tube malformations in the fetus - embryonic structure that gives rise to the central nervous system of the baby.

For women who are at high risk of giving birth to babies with this problem - as patients with epilepsy or who use anticonvulsant - dosage of folic acid should be 10 times higher, ie 4 milligrams.

The obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Eduardo Borges da Fonseca, president of the Specialized Committee on the Febrasgo Fetal Medicine, warns that the Unified Health System (SUS) provides the substance.

- At UHS, the woman will take 40 drops per day of folic acid. In the private network, the substance is marketed in tablet form and the daily cost is $ 0.30. Both versions are effective.

Anencephaly and other problems

The formation of the central nervous system occurs between the 17th and 30th day after conception and any change in the process can trigger serious consequences to the baby, according to Dr. Fonseca.

- The inadequate closure at the top of the neural tube causes anencephaly, a disease in 100% of cases leads to death. A malformation already happen at the bottom of the tube, the result is the open spina bifida, which can cause paralysis of the lower limbs, intestinal and urinary incontinence and to different degrees of retardation and learning difficulties at school.

In Brazil, the incidence of the condition affects 10% of infants, ie, the 3 million children born, 3000 show some neural defects. The doctor points out that, although the law permits abortion of anencephalic babies, the rule does not apply to cases of spina bifida.

- In this case, the child will have to face many challenges throughout their lives, including their own social inclusion.

With the adoption of the directive, Brazilian women are in line with international recommendations, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States.

Prevention

There is no more effective way to prevent neural malformation than planning pregnancy and following the recommendation of 4 micrograms of folic acid before and during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, data from Fiocruz show that most women (55%) pregnant without planning.

- Generally, the woman comes to the clinic without knowing that she is pregnant. Still, if she still has not passed the first trimester, you should take folic acid.

To draw the attention of the medical profession and the public, Febrasgo to distribute 30.000 tabs in the offices of public and private, plus 3 million flyers to society.

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is a B vitamin that acts in the process of multiplication of cells and the formation of structural proteins of hemoglobin. Its natural form, folate, can be found in dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli and spinach, but it is poorly absorbed by the body.
Therefore, the synthetic form (folic acid) is the most effective and practical alternative for women.



Source: Everyday Health

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This article was translated by an automatic translation system, and was therefore not reviewed by people.

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