What happens if a woman consumes too much folic acid in pregnancy?

Many expected mothers have a common concern about having a healthy baby. They are also very concerned about the gender of their baby. Too much folic acid in pregnancy is surely an important factor for having a healthy birth. The importance of folic acid is not understood by some women. Hence educating herself is very important in such matters. A lot of precaution and preparation is required. Some of the conditions can be prevented completely.  At least some care is required for avoiding the risk of serious conditions. These risks can be reduced by seventy percent.

1. Too much folic acid in pregnancy is very essential as it is a part of the compound vitamins that make up the vitamin B complex group. The development of cells is helped by it. Their way of regenerating themselves is also helped.
2. It also helps in the proper formation of the spinal cord and the brain. If there is deficiency of folic acid in the body during pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage increases and goes up very significantly.
3. If there is no enough folic acid in the mother’s system, there is a great chance of the infant developing a Neural Tube Disorder
4. The Neural Tube disorder is displayed in various ways and conditions when the infant is born. Couple of manifestations are the anencephaly and spinal bifida. Spinal bifida also means an open spine. This can result into total paralysis of the legs, bowels and the bladder. This condition is very fatal. It is mainly caused due to the incomplete development of the skull and the brain.  If a woman is having a child previously who was born with the same conditions, she is surely at a very high risk of having another child with the same conditions.

Taking too much folic acid in pregnancy can surely help in preventing these serious conditions in newborns. Given below are the benefits of folic acid during pregnancy:

1. Adequate function and division of cells
2. Healthy formation of hemoglobin
3. Less chances of having a heart attack or stroke
4. Protection from cancers
5. Less risk of Alzheimer’s disease

The recommended dosage for women is 400 mg. however, during pregnancy it is increased to 600 mcg. If the physician will feel that a woman is at a significant risk, the dosage can be raised to 1000 mcg. These concerns and problems must be discussed with the doctor.