David, Angel Micah M.

BSN 2Y2-4A

1. Why is it important to take adequate folic acid before and during pregnancy?
- During early development, folic acid helps form the neural tube. Folic acid is very important
because it can help prevent some major birth defects of the baby’s brain (anencephaly) and
spine (spina bifida).

 All women of reproductive age should get 400mcg of folic acid each day to get
enough folic acid to help prevent some birth defects because
o About half of U.S. pregnancies are unplanned, and
o Major birth defects of the baby’s brain or spine occur very early in
pregnancy (3-4 weeks after conception) before most women know they are
pregnant.
 When taking folic acid, a higher dose than 400mcg of folic acid each day is not
necessarily better to prevent neural tube defects, unless a doctor recommends
taking more due to other health conditions.

o When planning to become pregnant, women who have already had a

pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect should consult with their
healthcare provider. CDC recommends that these women consume
4,000mcg of folic acid each day one month before becoming pregnant and
through the first three months of pregnancy.

2. Why does maternal sickle cell crisis make fetal death more likely

- How sickle cell disease affects pregnancy depends on whether you have sickle cell disease
or sickle cell trait. Some women with sickle cell disease have no change in their disease
during pregnancy. In others, the disease may get worse. Painful events called sickle cell
crises may still occur in pregnancy. These events may be treated with medicines that are
safe to use during pregnancy. If you have kidney disease or heart failure before you get
pregnant, it may get worse during pregnancy.

Generally, women with sickle cell trait do not have problems from the disorder. But they
may have a lot of urinary tract infections during pregnancy. Pregnant women with sickle cell
trait can also have a kind of anemia caused by not having enough iron in their blood. If you
have this type of anemia, you may need to take iron supplements.

In pregnancy, it is important for blood cells to be able to carry oxygen. With sickle cell
anemia, the abnormal red blood cells and anemia may result in lower amounts of oxygen
going to your developing baby. This can slow down the baby’s growth.