Folic acid and vitamin D​

For expectant mothersbreadcrumb separatorPregnancy Factsheetsbreadcrumb separatorFolic acid and vitamin D​

​Folic acid and vitamin D​

Vitamines to think about before you become pregnant

Are these vitamines vital for the foetus?

A diet rich in folic acid (vitamin B9 or folate) is recommended during the period before conception in order to prevent malformations of the brain, skull and spinal column.

What is the role of folic acid?​​​​​​​​

Folic acid is necessary for cell division and is particularly important when cells are growing and multiplying rapidly – as is the case with a foetus.​​

Who is at risk of folate deficiency?

Those most at risk of folate deficiency are women of child-bearing age, women who smoke, women who suffer from intestinal problems that prevent absorption of this vitamin and women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

How can I tell if I have a deficiency?​

A laboratory test can measure levels of folic acid. All it takes is a blood sample in the morning (before you have eaten).

Which foods contain folic acid?

Folates take their name from the Latin word ‘folium’ (meaning leaf) because they can be found in high concentrations in green vegetables and fruit (green salad, spinach, strawberries, etc.). They are also found in significant concentrations in cereals and other foods like liver.

​How much and for whom?

The recommended minimum amount for pregnant women is 400 micrograms a day. It would be very difficult to reach these levels with a normal diet as the intestine only absorbs some of the folates from what we eat. Also, foods quickly lose their vitamin content (particularly during cooking). It is therefore necessary to use folic acid supplements, generally in the form of tablets or specially enriched foods.

Enriched products will have a label.

It is recommended to check the folic acid content of products and adapt your daily consumption with the aim of reaching the recommended level of 400 micrograms a day. In principle, the adjustment of daily folic acid intake is also recommended in the pre-conceptual period.

​How can an effective level of folic acid be approached?​

To be effective, this kind of preventive diet must start one month prior to pregnancy and continue until the second month of pregnancy. This is to avoid the risk of malformation of the neural tube (spina bifida) in the foetus. The neural tube closes from the end of the first month of pregnancy to form the spinal column.

How much vitamin D is needed?

Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is common. In the winter period, endogenous production of vitamin D does not cover the needs.

​​​​​​​Vitamin D plays an important role in bone mineralisation, growth and phosphocalcium metabolism.

​​​​​​​A supply must be ensured by diet and/or vitamin D supplementation. It is found in eggs and oily fish, for example. Pregnant women should consume at least 600 IU/day (15 µg/day).Vitamin D is also called the sunshine vitamin. Exposure (with all appropriate precautions) can also raise the level of vitamin D in the body.