Question

Folate requirements during pregnancy & rationale for why?

Answer 1

Folate, one of the essential B vitamin necessary during development of nervous system in the fetus.A deficiency or lack of it can cause neural tube defects in the baby.THe recommended folate is 400 micrograms per day to prevent this in pregnant women.

A mother who is diabetic ,seizure ,high risk pregnancy should consume more folate ,neraly 5mg daily for 12 weeks to prevent this defect.

It should be taken by a women who is planning pregnancy and who are pregnant.

This is required because the cell growth in the growing fetus is faster and brain development occurs during the first 3 to five weeks of pregnancy which needs folate to divide and get processed healthily,and when it lacks in  that period will cause high chance of neural tube defects.