12/16/2024
Did you know that vitamin B9 (or folic acid) is one of the most important micronutrients in pregnancy? That's because it helps prevent fetal defects such as neural tube defects (NTDs) among some other potential malformations. Oftentimes, these NTDs can occur between the 22nd and 28th day of conception (which is, on average, the 40th-42nd day of the start of your last menstrual period).
Since this occurs fairly early in conception, it is recommended that you start a folic acid supplement at least 3 MONTHS PRIOR to trying to conceive. So - if conceiving us one of your 2025 goals, get a head start BEFORE you get that fertile feeling 😉
Wishing you warmth and abundant fertility this holiday season!
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Mastroiacovo, P., & Leoncini, E. (2011). More folic acid, the five questions: Why, who, when, how much, and how. BioFactors, 37(4), 272-279. https://doi.org/10.1002/biof.172
Chitayat, D., Matsui, D., Amitai, Y., Kennedy, D., Vohra, S., Rieder, M., & Koren, G. (2015). Folic acid supplementation for pregnant women and those planning pregnancy: 2015 update. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 56(2), 170-175. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcph.616