Introduction
Some vitamins and nutrients are in high demand during pregnancy. Folic acid is particularly important for the development of the child. Therefore pregnant women are advised to take folic acid due to the increased need.
If there is a deficiency during pregnancy, the risk of abnormal development of the child increases. However, one should know that taking folic acid in the recommended doses does not offer a 100% guarantee against malformations. However, the risk is significantly reduced by taking folic acid.
Why should you take folic acid during pregnancy?
Folic acid is very important for the development of the unborn child. Therefore the need for folic acid is increased during pregnancy. In the first 4 weeks, the so-called neural tube develops in an embryo.
From this neural tube, the spinal cord and brain are formed as the pregnancy progresses. Folic acid is very important for the formation of the neural tube. It has been shown that folic acid deficiency leads to an increased number of cases of incomplete closure of the neural tube.
As a result, malformations of the spinal column, spinal cord and brain can develop. This does not mean that a folic acid deficiency or a failure to take folic acid in addition to folic acid necessarily leads to malformations, but the risk is increased. The most common malformation is in the lower back, the so-called spina bifida, which can be of varying degrees of severity.
In mild malformations, only the vertebral body is not completely developed. In severe cases, the skin over the area is defective and there is a bulge in which the spinal cord skin and possibly also the spinal cord itself are located. Possible consequences are paralysis in the legs.
The only possible therapy is surgical reconstruction. Malformations of the brain occur less frequently. Parts of the skull bone or the brain may not be formed. In severe cases the child is not viable.
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