I have had a baby with a neural tube defect in the past so the doctor
put me on 4 mg. of folic acid in preparation for the next pregnancy.
Since my precare conceive pre-conception vitamin has already 1 mg. of
folic acid, is this too much? I'm thinking that he forgot that the
vitamin already has some.
--
steph
Dear Steph,
5mg is normal for high-risk(history/NTD)& deficient(Tegretol causes
deficiency) Link: http://www.vh.org/adult/provider/obgyn/folicacid/
"The largest randomized prospective trial reported in Great Britain in
1991 involved 1,817 women who had a child with a NTD. One group
received 4mg folic acid daily; one group received seven other vitamins;
one group received both folic acid and seven vitamins; and a fourth
group received only iron and calcium. The supplementation started at
least four weeks before conception and continued until 12weeks from the
last menstrual period.
The study revealed a 72% reduction in affected pregnancies for a
relative risk of 0.28 in both of the folic acid groups and no reduction
in the other two groups. This led the CDC in August 1991 to recommend
that women who have had one child with NTD take 4mg folic acid per day
at least four weeks before conception and through the first three months
of pregnancy. In 1993, the Clinical Teratology Committee of the
Canadian College of Medical Geneticists recommended a minimum dosage of
folic acid of 0.8 mg/day, but not exceeding 5mg/day, for women who are
at increased risk of having offspring with NTD.(This covers your
situation, some more recent studies have shown higher levels safer, be
sure to have your B12 levels checked, supplements are absorbed easier
than diatary folate) I hope this helps,
Marie
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