# Folic acid & diabetes?



## shiv (Jun 30, 2011)

Hi, I have a friend at medical school who is doing some sort of study on diabetes and pregnancy.

She asked me:

"Do you know if diabetics have folic acid deficiency? I'm trying to work out why pregnant diabetic women are prescribed such a high does of folic acid."

Anyone know? I found a link on DUK:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us...ions/Folic_acid_supplementation_in_pregnancy/

Do we get prescribed higher than normal amounts of folic acid when TTC/when pregnant?

Thanks

Shiv


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## WannaBump (Jun 30, 2011)

Is it not because diabetic women have a higher chance of having children with birth defects, like spina bifida (dont think Ive spelt that right!). I think thats why the dose is higher. Hope this helps.


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## hyper-Suze (Jun 30, 2011)

Yep, WannaBump is correct. I've been told that folic acid is given to all women to protect againt spina bifida but if our sugars run higher during the pivotal 12weeks when the cells are forming, this is the point of where malformations and bifida can occur. I suppose as we are prone to this, they just double protect us? I'm on the higher dose and only through the GP...


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## rachelha (Jun 30, 2011)

We get prescribed 5mg, I think, about 10 times the normal amount.  Ideally you are meant to take it for about 3 months prior to conception but obviously this is not always possible.


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