Want a baby: take folate (folic acid or vitamin B9)

Childhood desire: the crucial role of folic acid

Folates, folic acid or even vitamin B9, are all terms that designate the same thing: a vitamin. It takes its name from the Latin “folium”, which means leaf, because of its presence in large quantities in most green leafy vegetables (spinach, lamb’s lettuce, watercress, etc.). If its benefits during pregnancy are now established, it seems that it also has protective effects against Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease and even certain cancers.

The role of folic acid during pregnancy

Folate plays a vital role in pregnant women during the first trimester of pregnancy. They indeed allow the harmonious construction of the nervous system of the baby and its proper functioning by acting on the closure of the neural tube. THE’anencephalic and  spina bifida are the two main birth defects that can occur if this stage goes wrong. According to a study by the Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES), taking folic acid is not 100% effective but reduces the risk of neural tube closure failure in almost two thirds of cases. A vitamin B9 deficiency can also have other consequences, such as a risk of miscarriage or anemia for the mother and prematurity or stunted growth for the baby. Other work has established a link between a folate deficiency and the detection of cardiac abnormalities, cleft lip and palate (formerly called “cleft lip”) or even malformations of the urethra. Finally, a Norwegian study published in 2013 showed that taking folic acid reduced the risk of autism by 40%.

Folic acid: when should you take it?

Almost half of women of childbearing age do not get enough vitamin B9. While the role of folate is essential during the first month of pregnancy, many women do not yet know they are pregnant at this stage, and not starting folic acid until pregnancy is confirmed is too late to have the expected effects. This is why it is generally prescribed two months before a planned pregnancy, that is to say before stopping the contraceptive, and at least until the end of the first month of pregnancy. Since all pregnancies are unplanned, some specialists advise all women of childbearing age to monitor their intake of folate.

However, despite the recommendations of professionals, the prescription is not followed enough. The Esteban study conducted in 2014-2016 reported a risk of folate deficiency (level <3 ng / mL) of 13,4% in women aged 18 to 49 years of childbearing age. In contrast, among girls aged 15 to 17, it was only 0,6%. Note that these folate levels were obtained in 532 premenopausal women of childbearing age and 68 adolescent girls.

Vitamin B9: stronger supplementation in some women

Some women are more likely to lack vitamin B9 than others. This is above all the case for those for whom a neural tube defect (NTD) has already been diagnosed during a previous pregnancy. Malnourished women or women whose diet is unbalanced are also concerned, as well as overweight women or those taking treatment for epilepsy or diabetes. These require increased monitoring and sometimes stronger folic acid supplementation.

Foods that contain folic acid

It is through food that most of our folic acid reserves are obtained. But unfortunately this is not enough to provide enough to meet the needs of pregnancy. Supplementation in the form of tablets is therefore essential. However, this does not prevent adding foods rich in folic acid to their menus, quite the contrary. Bet on green vegetables first (spinach, salads, peas, green beans, avocados…), but also on seeds (chickpeas, lentils…) and certain fruits (citrus fruits, melon, banana, kiwi…). However, be careful with livers and offal, which are very rich in folate but not recommended, as a precaution, for pregnant women or women wishing to have a baby.