 Folic Acid Facts
Preventing Birth Defects and Enhancing Fertility
Created by leading ObGyn and fertility expert Amos Grunebaum, MD, FertilAid® for Women is the only fertility supplement that gently balances scientifically-validated "fertility-enhancing" nutrients with a "Just Right" formula of key vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. FertilAid is:
- Safe, Effective, Non-Prescription Fertility Support – Naturally.
- ObGyn and MD Approved for Trying-to-Conceive Women.
- Designed to restore Hormonal Balance & Promote Fertility.
- Fortified with "Just Right" Preconception Dosage of Folic Acid.
Unlike other products, FertilAid offers complete vitamin and antioxidant support – the same critical ingredients
in
a prenatal vitamin. Complete preconceptional multivitamin support has been shown to enhance fertility and prevent birth defects like spina bifida,
neural tube defects, and cardiac malformations.
Why is Folic Acid Important?
Folic Acid (part of the vitamin B family) is very important for a strong pregnancy and healthy fetal development. Folic acid has been shown not only to decrease the risk
of neural tube birth defects like spina bifida, but it has
also been shown to reduce other birth defects like congenital heart conditions. It is especially recommended that women increase their intake of folic acid even
before trying to conceive - and with a "just right" formulation of folic acid (600 mcg), FertilAid provides
the ideal dosage for trying-to-conceive women.
Folic Acid and the Prevention of Birth Defects
What Are Neural Tube Defects?
Neural Tube Defects (NTDs) are among the most serious, common birth defects. NTDs occur when the neural tube of a fetus does not grow properly early in pregnancy and the baby is born with a serious birth defect. Spina bifida is the most common NTD.
 Every year, approximately 2,500 babies are born with NTDs in the US, and many additional NTD-impacted pregnancies result in miscarriage or stillbirth. NTDs occur in the first three to four weeks following ovulation/fertilization. Therefore, it is important for women to make prenatal multivitamins (containing folic-acid) a daily, dietary cornerstone during preconception, well before conception. To achieve a satisfactory folic acid level it is suggested to begin folic acid supplementation at least 1-2 months prior to conception.
As many pregnancies are unplanned, experts even recommend that all women of childbearing age make increased amounts of folate (folic acid) a central and routine part of their diet.
Folic Acid and the Prevention of Birth Defects
Numerous scientific studies emphasize the importance of folic acid and multivitamin supplementation in preventing birth defects and NTDs. Results of the Czeizel Study (1996) - using a periconceptional folic acid-containing multivitamin - indicate a "significant prevention of neural-tube defects, urinary tract and cardiovascular defects, in addition to a decrease in the rate of limb deficiencies and congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis". In this study, fertility was also improved after periconceptional multivitamin supplementation*.
In a study by MRC Vitamin Study Research Group (1991), deficiencies of folic acid during pregnancy were associated with low birth weight and an increased incidence of neural tube defects. In this study, "women who were at high risk of giving birth to babies with neural tube defects were able to lower their risk by 72% by taking folic acid supplements prior to and during pregnancy".
In addition, a recent study found a link between Down syndrome and folic acid, showing that mothers of children with Down syndrome often cannot efficiently metabolize the B vitamin, folic acid. Further studies are being conducted to show if taking folic acid may prevent Down syndrome, which is responsible for a large percentage of miscarriages as well.
How Does Folic Acid Support a Healthy Pregnancy?
Folic Acid is a water-soluble B-vitamin - which means that it does not remain in the body for very long, so a regular, daily dosage is required. During pregnancy, the body's requirement for this vitamin increases - and FertilAid® helps you meet these new nutritional needs.
In pregnancy, folic acid supports the development of the body's "building blocks" - our DNA and RNA - as well as the synthesis and growth of proteins, tissues, and developing cells. With the rapid growth that takes place during the early part of pregnancy, there is a vital need for adequate folate levels in the bloodstream, especially at conception. FertilAid® is the only fertility supplement that offers complete preconception vitamin support as well as 600 mcg of Folic Acid. If you believe you may be pregnant, discontinue use of FertilAid and begin use of a prenatal vitamin supplement like Dr. Grunebaum's Pregnancy Plus.
- Czeizel AE, Toth M, Rockenbauer M. Population-based case control study of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. Teratology 1996; 53:345–51.
- Czeizel AE, Toth M, Rockenbauer M. Population-based case control study of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. Teratology 1996; 53:345–51.
- MRC Vitamin Study Research Group. Prevention of neural tube defects: results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. Lancet 1991;338(8760):131–7.
- Mazza D. How folate can help prevent birth defects. Aust Fam Physician 28(7):719, 1999. PubMed
- Mazza D. Preventing congenital malformations. Aust Fam Physician 28(7):717-8, 1999. PubMed
- Ulrich M, Kristofferson K, et al. The influence of folic acid supplement on the outcome of pregnancies in the county of Funen in Denmark. Part III. Congenital anomalies. An observational study. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 87(2):115-8; discussion 103-4, 1999. PubMed
- Abnormal Folate Metabolism and Mutation in Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Gene May Be Maternal Risk Factors for Down Syndrome; James, S. Jill, et al; American Journal For Clinical Nutrition, volume 70, number 4, October 1999
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