In addition to these vegetables, you can also eat bananas, fortified cereal, bread, and oranges. When you eat a single bowl of fortified cereal, it will provide you with the daily necessary intake of folic acid. Nevertheless, most medical experts recommend that you take extra folic acid while pregnant because doing so will provide the vital nutrients to the child as well. For a woman who isn’t pregnant, the recommended dosage is 400 mcg per day. Pregnant women, on the other hand, need 600 mcg per day. Meanwhile, women who breastfeed need to take 500 mcg per day.
Risks to the Child
There are a few dangers that come with a folic acid deficiency. Infants with a deficiency of folic acid will have a heightened risk for different medical complications, such as low birth weight, brain damage, stillbirth, spina bifida, peripheral neuropathy, and mental confusion. If your child was born with any of these disorders, you might be entitled to financial support. Any child with a deficiency of folic acid should receive a careful examination from a doctor to ensure that they get the treatment they need and avoid any complications.
Along with possibly endangering a child to be afflicted with a birth disorder, a deficiency can threaten your life as well. Also, those who drink a lot of alcohol could risk developing folic acid deficiency anemia. That’s because, over time, your intestines can’t absorb folate as easily. Also, drinking alcohol while pregnant can lead to a host of other birth injuries and problems. While drinking may not cause cerebral palsy, it can cause a host of other problems for the child’s developing brain. It could even lead to a miscarriage or a stillbirth.
