Are folic acid and Iron supplement same or different??

Question

What are the benifits of taking folic acid during pregnancy..Are folic acid and Iron supplement same or different??

Answer 1

Folic acid, a B vitamin, helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord when taken before the end of early pregnancy. It is available in most multivitamins, as a folic acid-only supplement and in some foods.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/173_76...

Iron helps build red blood cells.  

Answer 2

Folic acid prevents certain birth defects such as spina bifida. Folic acid and iron are two different things.  

Answer 3

Folic acid is a B vitamin, specifically Vitamin B9.

Studies have shown that supplementing folic acid during a pregnancy decreases the chance of the fetus have abnormal developments, especially in the spine (neural tube defects).

Folic acid is found in fortified food (such as cereals and breads), leafy vegetables, and sunflower seeds.

Although it's still a good idea to take a folic acid supplement during pregnancy.  It's also recommended that every woman of child-bearing age should take folic acid, even if they're not expecting to become pregnant.  This is because most pregnancies aren't planned, and folic acid supplementation is crucial during the very first stages of pregnancy, usually when women don't yet know they're pregnant.

Iron on the other hand, is a mineral and found in the body's red blood cells.  Iron is crucial for transporting oxygen throughout the body.

The best food source for iron is red meats.

Usually during pregnancy, some women may need iron supplements.  This is because you are now carrying extra blood flow, in the form of the fetus' blood.  Because your blood volume increases, you need to make sure your iron intake increases as well, so your body can replenish the iron stores.

Therefore, both folic acid and iron are important during pregnancy, but they're not the same.  Hope this helped!