Health Info:  Index  /  Healthy eating  /  Physical Activity  /  Tobacco  /  Preconception and Pregnancy  /  Child Health  /    /  Infectious Diseases  /  Environment Grow healthy babies with folate What is folate? Folate is a B vitamin found naturally in food.  Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate found in fortified foods and vitamin supplements. Why do I need folate? Folate helps to make healthy blood cells Folate helps with growth of new cells Folate is essential for the normal growth of the spine, brain and skull of the fetus, especially during the first four weeks of pregnancy. What are neural tube defects (NTDs)? NTDs are birth defects that occur when the neural tube fails to close during the early weeks of pregnancy.  NTDs damage the spine, brain or skull of your baby and may lead to serious disability or even death.  Spina bifida is the most common NTD.   With folate timing is everything! If NTDs occur, they happen in the first month of pregnancy.  This is likely before you know for sure that you are pregnant!    An increased intake of folate by women before they become pregnant reduces the risk of NTDs.  Therefore, the critical time to get enough folate is before you get pregnant.  0.4 mg a day All women who could become pregnant should eat a healthy, folate-rich diet and take a daily multivitamin containing 400 mcg (0.4 mg) of folic acid.  The multivitamin should also contain vitamin B12. Start taking the multi-vitamin three months before you get pregnant.  Continue throughout your pregnancy and while breastfeeding. How to get your folate Taking a daily multivitamin that has 400 mcg (0.4 mg) of folic acid and eating according to Canada ’s Food Guide will help you prepare for a healthy pregnancy. Most foods contain some folate.  Vegetables and fruit are among the best sources.  Canada’s Food Guide recommends 7 to 8 servings of vegetables and fruit each day.  Long storage and cooking times can destroy the folate in foods.  Be sure to store food tightly covered, avoid excessive peeling and cutting of vegetables and fruits, and cook them for a short time in as little water as possible. Food sources of folate Folate-rich foods include:  beans, peas, lentils, green vegetables such as asparagus, spinach, lettuce, endive, green peas, broccoli, snow peas and Brussels sprouts, beets, carrots, parsnips, oranges, wheat germ, peanuts, sunflower seeds and walnuts.  Be sure to include enriched grain products (eg, bread, pasta and breakfast cereals) each day.  Look for the words ‘folic acid’ in the ingredient list of packaged foods.  Eating a variety of foods will help you to get enough folate. Folate-rich menu ideas Spinach and mandarin orange salad Cereals, muffins, salads with added berries Salads with sunflower or sesame seeds Lentil soup, bean burritos or chili Fruit salad or fruit smoothies Poached egg Florentine Broccoli stir-fry with peanuts Sliced avocado and romaine lettuce Baked beans and whole grain roll Important cautions Do not take more than the 1 daily dose of a multivitamin Do not increase your dose of folic acid beyond 1000 mcg (1 mg) per day unless advised by your doctor If you have had a previous history of a NTD or if you have diabetes, obesity or epilepsy, see your doctor before getting pregnant. Yo may need more folic acid If you start taking a prenatal supplement with folic acid you won't need the multivitamin as well Grow Healthy Babies with Folate (PDF, 280 kb, 2 pages)

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