Thinking About a Baby?

Healthy Mothers Have

Healthier Babies

with Folic Acid

Emma’s Story

U.S. DepArTMenT oF HeAlTH AnD HUMAn ServiCeS X Centers for Disease Control and prevention
Folic Acid for

 Healthy Babies

This health message is brought to you by the

U. S. DepArTMenT oF HeAlTH AnD HUMAn ServiCeS and the

Centers for Disease Control and prevention.
1

Emma and her husband want to start a 

family.

To have a healthy baby, Emma must make 

sure her body is healthy before she is 

pregnant. She sees a doctor at the local 

clinic right away.
Emma asks her doctor what she can do now 

to help her have a healthy baby.

There are many good health habits she will 

need to start before she is pregnant. Just 

one of the things Emma’s doctor tells her 

about is a vitamin called folic acid.

2
3

Emma learns that folic acid can prevent 

most but not all serious birth defects of a 

baby’s brain and spine.

Children born with these birth defects 

might not be able to run, walk, or play like 

other kids. Some of these babies might even 

die before they are born or soon after birth.
The doctor tells Emma that these birth 

defects can happen in the first few weeks. 

This is before a woman knows she is pregnant.

4

That is why it is important for Emma to 

take folic acid every day. She must take 

it before she is pregnant, while she is 

pregnant, and each day after.
5

Emma asks how much folic acid she 

should take.

The doctor says that 

all women need to:

Take one (1) vitamin 

with folic acid in it 

each day

or

Eat a bowl of 

breakfast cereal 

that has 100% of 

the Daily Value 

(DV) of folic acid 

each day

Either of these has enough folic acid to help 

Emma’s baby to be healthy. Emma can check the 

label on the package of her cereal or vitamin. 

It should say “100%” next to folic acid.
Emma learned that 

getting enough folic 

acid is easy.

She does not need a 

prescription.

She can get the 

vitamins at her 

grocery store. They 

do not cost a lot of 

money.

6

Now Emma takes one pill with folic acid 

in it each day.
A few months later, Emma finds out she is 

pregnant. The doctor tells her that she is 

helping her baby to be healthy by taking 

folic acid.

7

She reminds Emma to keep taking folic 

acid each day, while she is pregnant, and 

even after the baby is born.
8

As Emma enjoys her new baby, she reminds us:

“Talk with your doctor, 

like I did, if you are 

pregnant or thinking 

of getting pregnant. 

And take your folic acid 

every day! Don’t wait! 

Start this good habit 

today, before you are 

pregnant.”

Share Emma’s story with your friends and 

family, so they too can have healthy babies!
9

Prevent birth defects before 

you are pregnant.

Take folic acid every day!

To learn more about folic acid and 

healthy babies, contact:

CDC’s national Center on Birth Defects 

and Developmental Disabilities 

1-888-232-4636 (CDC-inFo)

visit us online at: http://www.cdc.gov/folicacid

email questions to Flo@cdc.gov
01/2009 CS124500 X 099-7626

Remember, 

To help prevent serious birth defects of 

the brain and spine:

	Take folic acid every day.

	Start today, before you are pregnant.

	Talk with a nurse or doctor if you are 

 pregnant or thinking of getting 

 pregnant.

	Continue taking folic acid during your 

 pregnancy and every day after.

	Tell your friends and family about 

 folic acid.