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Folic Acid
Awareness
Pregnancy
and Folic Acid….Why does your baby need it?
Folic acid is a naturally occurring
B vitamin that helps a baby’s neural tube- the part of a developing baby that
becomes the brain and spinal cord- develop properly. It must be taken before and during pregnancy
when the neural tube is developing.
The best way to get enough folic
acid is to take a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid in it and eat
a healthy diet. Most multivitamins have
this amount, but check the label to be sure. You can also get folic acid in your diet, but it’s hard to get enough
every day through food alone. All women
of childbearing age are recommended to take a multivitamin containing folic
acid every day as part of a healthy diet.
Folic acid works, but it only works
if taken before and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, when the neural
tube is developing into the brain and spinal cord. When the neural tube does not close properly,
a baby is born with a very serious birth defect called a neural tube
defect. About 3,000 children are born
each year in the United States with a neural tube defect. If all women took adequate folic acid before
conception and during pregnancy, the number of babies born with a neural tube
defect could drop by as much as 70 percent.
Folic
Acid is found in the following foods:
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Fortified
breakfast cereals
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Lentils
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Asparagus
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Spinach
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Black
beans
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Peanuts
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Orange
juice (from concentrate is best)
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Enriched
breads and pasta
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Romaine
Lettuce
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Broccoli
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A single serving of many breakfast
cereals has the amount of folic acid that a woman needs each day. Please look at nutrition label on the side of
the cereal box for the serving size and % Daily Value.
Are you pregnant? You may be eligible for the WIC program.
Who is eligible
for the WIC Program?
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Women who are pregnant, who are breastfeeding their babies, or who
have given birth in the last six months; Infants to 12 months
of age; and Children age 1 to 5.
How do you sign-up for WIC?
Contact
the Clark County Health Department. Our staff will:
1.
Ask your identity and residence. You will be asked to show ID and proof of
where you live.
2.
Ask your household income to see if you meet income guidelines. You will meet
these if you show proof that: You receive KTAP, Food Stamps or Medicaid, or A
pregnant woman or infant in your household receives Medicaid, or A member of
your household receives KTAP, or Your household income is at or below 185% of
poverty.
3.
Do a simple health and diet screening to see if you have a nutritional or health
need.
What will you receive?
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HEALTHY FOODS - Foods you or your children may receive are:
Infant formula
Baby Food and Baby Cereal
Milk, cheese, and yogurt
Vitamin C-rich juices
Iron-rich cereals
Eggs
Dried beans or peanut butter
Whole Grains Breads, Tortillas, Rice
Fruits and Vegetables
For
more information about the WIC program please call us at (859)744-4482.
Information taken from: www.cdc.gov
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