1. SECTIONS:
2. preface & acknowledgements
3. genetics at a glance
4. contacts, support & testing
5. testing & pregnancy
6. newborn screening
7. cancer in the family
8. cardiovascular conditions
9. chromosomal conditions
10. clotting & bleeding conditions
11. cystic fibrosis
12. diabetes
13. fragile X syndrome and other causes of developmental delay
14. haemoglobinopathies
15. hereditary haemochromatosis
16. neurofibromatosis
17. neurological conditions
18. psychiatric conditions
19. genetics in practice
20. emerging genetic technologies
21. glossary

Folic acid and pregnancy

 

1. About 1 in every 500 pregnancies is affected by a neural tube defect.
2. Research has shown that 70% of cases of neural tube defects (spina bifida, anencephaly, cleft lip with
   or without cleft palate) can be prevented by increasing the intake of folic acid prior to, and during early
   pregnancy.
3. Folate is a B group vitamin found in leafy green vegetables, wholegrain breads, cereals and legumes.
   It is also available in tablet forms as folic acid.

 

Recommendations about folic acid in pregnancy

 

Women at population risk for neural tube defects

1. Women planning a pregnancy should take supplementary folic acid, 0.5mg [500μg] folic acid tablet or multivitamin appropriate for use in pregnancy and containing at least 0.4 mg [400μg] of folic acid) every day for at least one month prior to possible conception and continued for the first three months of pregnancy.
2. As many pregnancies are unplanned, all women of reproductive age should consider taking supplementary folic acid or a folate-rich diet.
3. Folic acid tablets and multivitamins containing at least 0.4mg [400μg] folic acid are available from chemists, health food stores and some supermarkets.

 

Women at increased risk for neural tube defects

1. Women are at higher risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect if:
2. They have had a baby with spina bifida, anencephaly or other neural tube defects
3. They themselves have had a neural tube defect
4. They are on certain medications for epilepsy
5. They have a close relative who has had a neural tube defect.
6. These women should take supplementary folic acid every day for at least one month prior to possible conception and continued for the first three months of pregnancy. The dose recommended is usually 5mg [5000μg].

 

Important points about folic acid

1. Women taking drugs to control epilepsy or seizures should ask their doctor whether they should increase the dose of folic acid to 5mg daily. However, specific evidence is limited in this area.
2. Women planning to take multivitamins to provide folic acid supplementation should check with their pharmacist or doctor whether the multivitamin dose they are planning to use contains amounts of all the other vitamins/minerals that are safe for pregnancy, as well as providing the right amount of folic acid.

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