Folic acid in pregnancy

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What is folic acid?

Why take folic acid in pregnancy?

When should I start taking folic acid in pregnancy?

What foods have folic acid?

How much folic acid should I take in pregnancy?

Folic acid is important to take when you are planning a pregnancy and during pregnancy because it helps your baby’s nervous system to develop.

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is the man-made form of folate, a B vitamin found in some food. Folic acid can be taken as a supplement. 

Why take folic acid in pregnancy?

Folic acid helps your baby's neural tube grow. The neural tube is the start of your baby’s brain and spine so it’s important that it grows properly.

Taking folic acid supplements helps protect your baby from developing spina bifida and other conditions that affect their spine and neural tube.

When should I start taking folic acid in pregnancy?

It takes a while for folic acid to build to levels that will give your baby full protection so if you are planning a pregnancy, take a folic acid supplement from 3 months before becoming pregnant.  

If you are already pregnant, start taking folic acid as soon as possible  and continue up to week 12 of pregnancy.  

By 12 weeks the neural tube has already grown, so taking folic acid after this point will not help your baby’s development.   

However, if you get your folic acid as part of a pregnancy multivitamin it is not harmful to continue having it for the rest of your pregnancy.  

This includes Healthy Start pregnancy vitamins.

If you are past 12 weeks in your pregnancy and did not know you should take folic acid, try not to worry. The risk of your baby having a neural tube problem is still very small.  

What foods have folic acid?

Folic acid in its natural form is called folate. Some foods contain folate naturally.

Foods that have folate include:

• green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage
• green beans
• peas
• oranges
• chickpeas and brown rice.

Some breakfast cereals, plant-based spreads, bread and flour have folic acid added. You won’t be able to get enough folate through your diet though so it is important to take the supplements.

How much folic acid should I take in pregnancy?

Most pregnant people are advised to take 400 micrograms of folic acid each day. These tablets can be bought cheaply in supermarkets or pharmacies. If you take a pregnancy multivitamin, it will be in that so you don’t need to get it separately.  

Some people need a higher dose of folic acid (5mg a day). Go to your GP for a prescription if you:

• (or the baby’s other parent) have had spina bifida
• had a previous baby with spina bifida
• (or the baby’s other parent) have a family history of neural tube defects
• have diabetes
• have a body mass index (BMI) of over 30
• are taking medication for epilepsy
• are taking anti-retroviral medication for HIV.

Your GP can prescribe you a higher dose if you are either planning a pregnancy or are less than 12 weeks pregnant.  

If you’re eligible for the Healthy Start or Best Start Foods (Scotland) schemes, you can get vitamin D and folic acid free in pregnancy. You can also buy Healthy Start vitamins cheaply at some pharmacies.  

When you’re pregnant it's important to try to have a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. A balanced diet and taking supplements will help make sure that you and our baby get all the nutrients you need. Find out more about how to eat well during pregnancy.