Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin found within the B group of vitamins. It occurs naturally, in the form of folates, in a variety of foods such as brussel sprouts, green beans, pulses, dairy products and yeast extract. It is also available as a supplement and as a fortification in some foods such as breakfast cereal and some bread.

Who needs folic acid?

Folic acid is needed by everyone — regardless of age or sex — because it is essential for healthy growth and blood formation. But research has shown that it is especially important during the early weeks of pregnancy when the most important developments in an unborn baby, such as the formation of the spine, are occurring.

Spina Bifida occurs when one or more vertebrae — the bones which form the backbone — do not develop properly, leaving a gap or a split. Children can suffer from hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and varying degrees of paralysis.

Recommended daily amount

Most adults get about 200 mcg of folic acid a day from their diet, but women hoping to become pregnant should take 0.4mg (400mcg) supplement of folic acid every day immediately after stopping contraception, and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

They should also eat a diet rich in foods which naturally contain folic acid such as leafy green vegetables, as well as foods which have been fortified with folic acid such as breads and breakfast cereals.

Women who find that they are already pregnant but haven't taken additional folic acid should start taking a supplement straight away, continuing until the end of the twelfth week of their pregnancy.

Research shows that folic acid is not harmful to either the mother-to-be or the baby and does not produce any side-effects. In fact, it is a vitamin that the body gets rid of naturally if too much is taken.