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Folic Acid is even more Important than You Thought
Nov. 29, 2000 A new study has just revealed that daily supplements of folic acid are even more important to the prevention of birth defects than was previously believed. Folic acid, taken during pregnancy, has been proven to reduce the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. However, a new study published in the November 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, has found that the benefits of this vitamin are even more far reaching. Folic acid may also reduce the risk of other birth defects, including cleft palate and abnormalities of the urinary tract and cardiovascular system. The study was conducted by Dr. Sonia Hernandez-Diaz from the Boston University School of Public Health in Brookline, Massachusetts. Research focused on the effects of drugs ingested during pregnancy that are known to disrupt the breakdown and absorption of folic acid. Researchers investigated 6,932 infants born with oral clefts or with defects of the heart or urinary tract. They found that when a woman took a drug known to inhibit folic acid during her first trimester, she was 2 to 3 times more likely to have a baby with one of these abnormalities. When she took supplemental folic acid, this risk was reduced. The drugs that inhibit folic acid include:
It should be noted some drugs in the anti-seizure category interfere with the proper absorption of folic acid and cannot be corrected by supplemental folic acid. The role of folic acid is an important one. The vitamin is recommended for all women of childbearing age and is especially important during the first trimester of pregnancy.
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