Folate, the B B vitamin (extra B for baby!)

FOLATE IS A B-GROUP VITAMIN WHICH IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE. ADEQUATE INTAKE OF THIS VITAMIN HAS BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS, SUCH AS SPINA BIFIDA IN NEWBORN BABIES.

Bringing a new life into this world is an exciting experience and one which requires a close look at good nutrition for both you and your growing baby. Pregnancy places extra nutritional demands on your body. You need more protein and nutrients, particularly iron, folate, iodine, and zinc. Contrary to the old adage “eating for two,” pregnancy doesn’t mean eating twice as much. Surprisingly your energy needs increase only slightly during pregnancy so the focus is eating nutrient rich foods and making sure every mouthful counts. Research has shown that the food a mother eats during pregnancy can affect the development of her baby, and may also affect the baby’s health later in life.

The neural tube is the part of the embryo from which your baby's spine and brain develop. During the early stages of pregnancy, growth of the baby is rapid. In the first four to six weeks of pregnancy, the neural tube closes and fuses. The neural tube later becomes the baby’s brain and spinal cord.

Neural tube defects occur at a very early stage of development, before many women even know they're pregnant – which is why it's important to begin taking folic acid before you start trying to conceive. Approximately one in 500 babies in Australia is born with a neural tube defect (NTD) such as spina bifida.

When you are planning a pregnancy, it is recommended that you increase your daily intake of folate for at least one month prior to pregnancy. Even women who aren’t planning to have a baby should increase their folate intake if they are sexually active, because around half of all pregnancies are unplanned

As a nutritionist, I have always believed that supplementation is only worthwhile for those who have a diet lacking. However even with the best intentions, it can be difficult to meet the increased nutritional needs of pregnancy through diet alone. For example, you’d need to eat the following amount of foods every day to reach the recommended requirements of the following 3 essential nutrients for pregnancy*:

Folic acid: around 700 g of cooked spinach or 15 slices of bread

Iodine: around 200 g of oysters or 6 eggs

Iron: around 900 g of red meat or 250 g of chicken livers.

*Estimates based on Food Standards Australia New Zealand, NUTTAB 2010.

It’s also difficult to measure just how much folate you get from your diet because the vitamin is affected by how foods are cooked and stored.

The voluntary fortification of several foods with folate has been permitted in Australia since June 1995 and mandatory folic acid fortification of all flour used for making bread (except organic bread) came into effect in September 2009. Three slices of bread (100g) contains an average of 120 micrograms of folic acid. Breakfast cereals and fruit juices for sale in Australia may also have added folic acid.

That’s why pregnancy multivitamin and mineral supplements like Elevit have been developed to help meet the increased nutritional needs throughout pre-conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Look for supplements that contain at least 400 -600 micrograms of folic acid; these will generally be supplements containing only folic acid or special pregnancy supplements. Multi-vitamin supplements generally contain less. Trying to get your folic acid needs from general multi-vitamins may result in you getting higher than recommended amounts of other vitamins and minerals. Your doctor, midwife, pharmacist or a dietitian can help you to choose the best supplement for your needs.

Some women may be at higher risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect and may need higher amounts of folate. Your GP is the best person to determine your individual risk. Common reasons for increased risk include already having a baby with a neural tube defect or having a family history of neural tube defects.