Folic acid is the very first vitamin that will be prescribed to you by your doctor once you find out that you are pregnant. This is a very essential vitamin for the fetal development. You can get this as an individual vitamin supplement or it can also be an ingredient in your multivitamin for pregnancy.

Folic acid significantly decreases the chances of spinal and brain defect on the unborn child. If only all mothers take folic acid during their first trimester of pregnancy, every child should have been born with healthy brain and spine; without brain tumors and other related defects. It would have prevented the growth of primitive neuroectodermal and medulloblastoma brain tumors.

In the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a study proved that mothers who took folic acid decreased the occurrence of brain tumor in their child. They selected 315 healthy random children and compared it to 315 random children with brain tumors.

They asked each mom if they took folic acid during their pregnancy. Most moms who took folic acid do not have a child who suffers from brain tumor.

You should remember that taking multivitamin for pregnancy with folic acid should be taken at the early stage of pregnancy. If it is taken at the later stage, its effect on the brain and spine development on the baby is greatly decreased. The brain and the spinal cord are the first ones to be developed on the fetus so during the development stage, folic acid should be introduced into the system in order for it to take effect.

Folic acid in your multivitamin in pregnancy is important but you should not forget to have a balanced diet. Even if you are getting most of the vitamins and nutrients you need in your multivitamin, having healthy meals is still important for the health of the mother and the baby.