Final answer:
Females planning to become pregnant should begin taking folic acid supplements before conception, consuming at least 400 µg/day as recommended by the Food and Nutrition Board. This intake is crucial for preventing neurological defects like spina bifida during the neural tube formation stage. Folic acid ensures the fetus has adequate protection against potential birth defects.
Step-by-step explanation:
Importance of Folic Acid Before Pregnancy
A female planning to become pregnant should begin taking folic acid supplements before conception. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends that women who might become pregnant consume at least 400 µg/day of folate from supplements or fortified foods. This recommendation is established due to the critical role of folic acid in preventing neurological defects such as spina bifida, which occur during the early stages of pregnancy when the neural tube is forming.
Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is crucial for the healthy development of the neural tube. A lack of maternal folate can lead to neural tube defects, including spina bifida and anencephaly. Hence, starting folic acid supplementation before pregnancy ensures that the developing fetus has adequate protection against these potential birth defects during the critical formation period.
Pregnant mothers require greater amounts of certain nutrients, with folic acid being especially important. To this point, adult human liver can store approximately 5-20 mg of folic acid but the daily requirement is about 300-400 µg, thus supplementation or intake through fortified foods is often necessary to meet this need. By adhering to these guidelines, prospective mothers can significantly reduce the risk of serious birth defects by up to 40%.