Folate/ folic acid before and during pregnancy

Folate/ folic acid before and during pregnancy

Supplementation of folate (folic acid) is recommended for all women who are trying to become pregnant or who are pregnant in the first trimester (up to the 12th week of pregnancy). Folate protects the fetus against the development of, among other things, spina bifida. Only one in ten take folate as recommended.

Recommended intake of folate/folic acid during pregnancy

The Norwegian Directorate of Health recommends 0.4 mg of folate daily from the time you plan pregnancy until the 12th week of pregnancy. If you have not taken supplements with folate before, you should start as soon as you discover or suspect that you are pregnant.

(0.4 mg folate/folic acid is the same as 400 mcg folate/folic acid)

Neural tube defects

Folate has a special function linked to the closure of the neural tube early in the fetal stage.

Folate deficiency during pregnancy can cause damage to the fetus called neural tube defects. In Norway, approximately 60 children are born each year with neural tube defects. Spina bifida is the most common injury that can occur due to folic acid deficiency. Brain herniation or lack of development of the brain and "skull" are other and more serious neural tube defects.

Don't start too late!

The neural tube closes approximately 30 days after fertilization. It is therefore important to start with folate before you are pregnant, so that you have enough folate in your body from the start of pregnancy. This is the most vulnerable period for the fetus with regard to the development of neural tube defects.

It is a big challenge that women in Norway do not start taking folic acid early enough.

This is the background for the Norwegian Directorate of Health's recommendations for 1 tablet (0.4 mg) of folate daily from the time you plan pregnancy and the first trimester of pregnancy.

Too little folate in the diet

Folate is found in, among other things, broccoli, spinach, beans, coarse grain products and citrus fruits. Results from the Norwegian health authorities' surveys show that women in Norway do not get the recommended daily dose of 0.4 mg (for those who are planning a pregnancy or are pregnant in the first trimester) via their diet.

Some women are recommended a higher intake of folate, and should therefore use folate supplements in consultation with a doctor in connection with planned pregnancy and pregnancy:

• Women who have previously had a child with a neural tube defect.

• Women who are being treated with certain types of medication, such as epilepsy medication.

• Women who themselves have such a defect or have a partner who has had such a defect.

Supplementation of folate/folic acid

Folic acid tablets can be bought without a prescription at pharmacies and online here.

Please note that most multivitamin supplements for pregnant women also contain 0.4 mg folate/folic acid. If you take such a dietary supplement, you do not need to take extra folate in addition. Read the package or ask us in the pharmacy for advice!