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Parental concerns

Pregnant women or those thinking of becoming pregnant should ensure that that they get the recommended amount of folic acid daily. As with all B-complex vitamins, it is best to take folic acid with the other B vitamins. Vitamin C is important to the absorption and functioning of folic acid in the body.

KEY TERMS

Homocysteine—A sulfur-containing amino acid.

Preeclampsia—A condition that develops after the twentieth week of pregnancy and results in high blood pressure, fluid retention that doesn't go away, and large amounts of protein in the urine. Without treatment, it can progress to a dangerous condition called eclampsia, in which a woman goes into convulsions.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)—The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are quantities of nutrients in the diet that are required to maintain good health in people. RDAs are established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences, and may be revised every few years. A separate RDA value exists for each nutrient. The RDA values refer to the amount of nutrient expected to maintain good health in people. The actual amounts of each nutrient required to maintain good health in specific individuals differ from person to person.

Water-soluble vitamins—Vitamins that are not stored in the body and are easily excreted. They must, therefore, be consumed regularly as foods or supplements to maintain health.

To correct a folic acid deficiency, supplements are taken in addition to food. Since the functioning of the B vitamins is interrelated, it is generally recommended that the appropriate dose of B-complex vitamins be taken in place of single B vitamin supplements. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for folate is 400 mcg per day for adults, 600 mcg per day for pregnant women, and 500 mcg for nursing women. Medicinal dosages of up to 1,000–2,000 mcg per day may be prescribed. Nearly all multivitamin formulations for women include the RDA for folic acid.

BOOKS

Folic Acid: A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References. San Diego, CA: ICON Health Publications, 2004.

Heird, William C. "Nutritional Requirements." In Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 17th ed. Edited by Richard E. Behrman, et al. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2003, pp. 153–56.

Rock, Cheryl L. "Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Disease." In Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 22nd ed. Edited by Lee Goldman, et al. Philadelphia: Saunders, 2003, pp. 1308–11.

Russell, Robert M. "Vitamin and Trace Mineral Deficiency and Excess." In Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 15th ed. Edited by Eugene Braunwald et al. New York: McGraw Hill, 2001, pp. 461–69.

PERIODICALS

Allen, L. H. "Folate and vitamin B12 status in the Americas." Nutrition Reviews 62, no. 6, Pt. 2 (2004): 29–33.

Bailey, L. B. "Folate and vitamin B12 recommended intakes and status in the United States." Nutrition Reviews 62, no. 6, Pt. 2 (2004): S14–20.

Baro, L., et al. "The administration of a multivitamin/mineral fortified dairy product improves folate status and reduces plasma homocysteine concentration in women of reproductive age." International Journal of Vitamin and Nutritional Research 74, no. 3 (2004): 234–40.

Rockel, J. E., et al. "Folic acid fortified milk increases red blood cell folate concentration in women of childbearing age." Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 13, supplement (2004): S84–7.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Academy of Family Physicians. 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway, Leawood, KS 66211–2672. Web site: <www.aafp.org/>.

American Academy of Pediatrics. 141 Northwest Point Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007–1098. Web site: <www.aap.org/default.htm>.

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102. Web site: <http://naturopathic.org/>.

American Heart Association. National Center, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75231. Web site: <www.americanheart.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/heim.html>.

American Medical Association. 515 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60610. Web site: <www.ama-assn.org/>.

American Osteopathic Association. 142 East Ontario Street, Chicago, IL 60611. Web site: <www.osteopathic.org/>

WEB SITES

"Folate (Folacin, Folic Acid)." Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet. Available online at <http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5553.html> (accessed November 18, 2004).

"Folic Acid." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Available online at <http://www.cdc.gov/node.do/id/0900f3ec80010af9> (accessed November 18, 2004).

"Folic Acid." March of Dimes. Available online at <www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/173_769.asp> (accessed November 18, 2004).

L. Fleming Fallon Jr., MD, DrPH

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