Folic Acid and Iron

Folic acid and iron are very important for pregnant women. The sufficiency of these two substances not only prevents the impairment of the brain and spinal cord in infants but also can make them born more intelligent. This was the result of a recent study conducted in Nepal.

The study which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association says iron supplements and folic acid which are consumed before and during pregnancy makes babies born to have intelligence and better motor skills than infants whose mothers did not consume prenatal supplements.

The research was conducted double-blind and randomized to 676 children whose medical history was followed until the age of 7 and 9 years. Those who received prenatal supplements of folic acid and iron showed higher cognitive abilities. They also scored higher on motor skills and reveal the reason, when compared with children from the control group whose mothers did not receive supplementation, according to Aol.

Laura Murray-Kolb, a researcher, reveals the adequacy of iron during pregnancy will affect neurotransmitters in the brain that affect the speed of information processing. Whilefolic acid will accelerate the replication of cells during pregnancy and reduce the occurrence of neural tube defects or failure of the neural tube to close completely.

Anemia is still a prominent health problem especially in developing countries. The disease is characterized with low levels of hemoglobin (Hb) in blood.
Hemoglobin is a protein pigment that gives color to the blood and the duty to bring oxygen to the lungs and then distributed to all tissues and organs of the body to do burning that produces energy.

Folate deficiency in pregnant women increases the risk of maternal anemia so mothers are easily tired, listless, and pale. The need of folic acid for pregnant and child-bearing age as much as 400 micrograms per day. Foods rich in folic acid include broccoli, oranges, spinach, bread, and milk.