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FIONA SHANNON STARTED taking folic acid immediately when she found out she was pregnant, but the mother-of-two says it was too late and her family has now “experienced first-hand how not taking it can impact on someone’s life”.
Fiona’s second daughter, Niamh, was diagnosed with spina bifida at 24 weeks.
Shannon told TheJournal.ie that at the time of her pregnancies she didn’t know there was a link between folic acid and conditions such as spina bifida.
“It was just something you took when pregnant, I didn’t know that was the reason.”
The mum of two started taking folic acid as prescribed when she was around six weeks pregnant.
Both my pregnancies were planned, but the importance of Folic Acid wasn’t really pushed as much as it is now, or I would have been taking it well before we had conceived.
“It happens from day one or day two of conception so the importance of Folic Acid really needs to be put out there and advertised.”
She said that pregnant women she knows still aren’t being informed.
“The information should be out there – it also does no harm to you in case of an unplanned pregnancy.”
Shannon added that even now advertisements for Folic Acid on television are aimed at pregnant women.
As it stands only one in three Irish women routinely take folic acid supplements.
Doctor Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, the director of human health and nutrition at Safefood said, “Folic acid is widely available, cheap and a year’s supply can cost less than a single takeaway coffee.
One reason why women are hesitant about taking folic acid is because it indicates they are actively trying to get pregnant. This mindset needs to change with over 50% pregnancies unplanned but most of these are ‘happy accidents’.
Shannon reiterated this, saying, “Taking a folic acid tablet a day is so simple and so easy. It doesn’t mean you’re planning a baby. But it does mean when you have a baby, however far in the future that might be, you’re already helping to protect their health.”
“For a healthy mum and baby, we simply can’t get enough folic acid from our food alone even with fortified foods – taking a daily folic acid supplement of 400 mcg is the only way to go,” continued Dr Foley-Nolan.
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I knew about the importance of folic acid when trying on both of mine. It was written about on everything I read and the need to start taking it weeks beforehand.
i really do find it hard to believe that this woman did not know about folic acid .. it is well known and there’s plenty of information out there .. even more so that it was a planned pregnancy ..
@Joan Murphy: agreed i was surprised when i read that myself in this day and age ..
Joan. She didnt say she didnt know about taking folic acid. She said she didnt know the link between folic acid and spina bifida. At least she is trying to raise awareness. Personally i wouldnt have known only that my friends had kids before me. Yes, the information is “out there” but it didnt reach her and others for some reason and that is worrying. Good for her for highlighting the issue. Whats also worrying is the fact that women who take folic acid are labelled as “trying to get pregnant”.. We need to lose that attitude too…
I’m only 23 and not planning on having a baby soon but I take folic acid daily. An unplanned pregnancy is tough but an unplanned pregnancy and a child with spina bifida is even tougher! All young women should take it!
When did folic acid supplements become a necessity? Just wondering if it is due to changes in diet that it is now essential to take it. I don’t think it was an issue 30 years ago. What foods supply it naturally? Mostly greens I think.
Folic acid is not naturally occurring. Folate is and is found in leafy greens.
@Susan McMahon: No, it was an issue 30 years ago, we had more incidents then of birth defects due to deficiency. It has always been a problem, it’s just now we know more about it and there is more of an effort to counteract it, still should be taught to girls in school though. Folic acid and iron should be standard nutritional supplements for females IMO, and maybe even Iodine too.
The folic acid in food isn’t enough, unfortunately. It has to be taken as supplements to prevent birth defects.
Folic acid should not be taken, folate should. Folic acid increases the risk of mid line defects in 20% of cases….
Any study to back this up? I Would be interested in reading about that.
Folic Acid is Folate in a supplement
Folic acid is artificial. Your body has to convert it to folate. Up to 20% of people cannot convert folic acid to folate. Google folic acid link to tongue tie for more info.
Thats just wrong
@Susan McMahon- probably because the link had not been made or the importance of supplementation while pregnant
@Susan McMahon: as others have pointed out, it’s always been an issue. Irish people have a genotype that predisposes them to having children with NTDs. Rates did decrease for decades, due to improved diets and food fortification, but in recent years we have seen an alarming increase. This is probably due to changing food patterns over the course of the recession. Women can’t get enough from food to prevent NTDs and must take a daily supplement to protect themselves if they could become pregnant.
@Dublin History: there is no sound research to back this up. All of the research on prevention of NTDs has been carried out using folic acid. in addition, many countries have a flour supply that is fortified with folic acid and the effects of those interventions have been monitored closely.
Michelle agree about folic acid and iron if not getting enough in your diet.
Would be wary about iodine because of the thyroid risk you need to be careful if there is history of thyroid disease.
I take folic acid daily for its other benefits it’s not just important for women of childbearing age.
Permo Dermo the spina bifida link and importance of supplementation was most certainly made 30+ years ago. My doctor informed me of the necessity of folic acid supplement whether or not I intended to get pregnant as there was a risk of the baby having spina bifida as my diet clearly did not include lots of leafy green veggies at the time, that was 33 years ago.
Funny enough Molly cauliflower has more folate than any other vegetable.
seriously thejournal .. or more so the author of this article .. the MTHFR is the name of the muted gene and not a curse word .. there was no need to delete my comment !
And alcohol interferes with effects of folic acid… another reason to avoid alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive
I knew about folic acid 17 years ago when I was pregnant with my first. So as soon as I was pregnant with my second I was well aware of the benifits. I read the information leaflet provided, and all the books I could on pregnancy. TBH it’s everywhere. But taking folic acid still doesn’t give 100% protection against spina bifida.
My understanding is that folic acid is a mandatory ingredient in all breads in the UK, meaning that all women automatically get protection prior to & during pregnancy – can we have the same law here please?
It’s also in your cornflakes.
@Mary Tully: it is already in a lot of products but it may not give you the full daliy recommended dosage ..
@Mary Tully: Assuming you eat bread?
I believe it’s enough to prevent neural tube defects. However, I was wrong – it’s in 78 countries including USA but only under consideration in UK.
Well it’s the flour that’s fortified. The small % of women who don’t eat bread are very aware of the need for supplements.
@Mary Tully: hi Mary, it’s not fortified either here or the UK as you have discovered. That’s why it’s essential for all women who cold become pregnant to take it.
Consumption of folic acid (the laboratory equivalent of folate) is shown to have far reaching benefits other than prevention of NTDs, including the formation of healthy blood cells, prevention of megaloblastic anaemia, and is heavily involved with DNA and RNA production. Whatever plonker above is attempting to equate a tongue tie to the lifetime disability that spins bifida can be needs to have a serious look at some properly carried out medical research! And from a diet and nutrition point of view, it is almost impossible to obtain sufficient amounts of folate from the diet to prevent NTDs. Also, those suffering from iron-deficiency and B12-deficiency anaemia may also have problems absorbing sufficient folic acid, and may need to increase supplementation. I fully agree that all women and girls of child bearing age should be encouraged to supplement their diets with folic acid, and this can be done simply through a multivitamin. It should start at puberty so that silly “oh you must be trying to conceive” stigmas become non existent. My god, is this the 2016 equivalent of women carrying condoms “must be promiscuous”?? SMH
People should take folic acid regardless of plans to get pregnant because it encourages the healthy development of new cells, which lessens the risk of cancers developing, and is very good for red blood cells, the reason I take it. But I do understand some women feeling awkward going to the till for it, especially in small towns because people will automatically assume they are pregnant. I have had a person before ask me did I lose the baby when after 6 months of buying it, I was not showing. I now buy it in the county town when I go there because of the looks and comments, but it has so many good effects for men and women and should be on the list of essential vitamins and minerals we should take along with Vit B and Iron, as well as others.
Foods that are yellow are tissue building foods and should be an absolute necessity for pregnant women or women attempting pregnancy.
Like yellow M&Ms, smarties & minion sweets…
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