Case Study 3: Prenatal Pills Just after her friends Brian and Laura went to see
ID: 88575 • Letter: C
Question
Case Study 3: Prenatal Pills Just after her friends Brian and Laura went to see Dr. Franco, Vera Smith found out she was pregnant. She was 33 and single. She knew that she should see a physician right away but her hectic schedule was a problem. Her friends told her to eat right and not take any medications, not even aspirin, since it may hurt the fetus. When Vera was almost three months pregnant, her mother called from Arizona and reminded Vera that she should see a physician for prenatal care. Vera got Dr. Franco’s number from Laura and went to see him. At her appointment, the nurse asked if she was taking folic acid and Vera very proudly admitted that she was not. She didn’t want to take anything because she didn’t want to hurt the baby. The nurse pointed to a sign that all pregnant women should take folic acid to rude the chance of the baby being born with spina bifida. Vera wondered what that meant and the nurse gave her a pamphlet to read about nutrition, folic acid, and pregnancy. Read up on spina bifida (SB) being a multifactorial trait (environmental + genetic component) and answer the following questions. 1. Should Vera be skeptical about the use of folic acid because the way it acts has yet to be discovered? 2. Should Vera take the folic acid pills even though she’s 3 months pregnant? 3. Many dietary supplements that were once considered good for us have been have been shown to be either useless or harmful. Is it possible that this may be the case with folic acid? Should this influence Vera’s decision? Why or why not? 4. How much research should Vera do if she decides to take folic acid? 5. Suppose that Vera had taken folic acid but her child is born with SB. What should she do? List 4 things.
Explanation / Answer
Question 1 : Should Vera be skeptical about the use of folic acid because the way it acts has yet to be discovered?
Answer: As folic acid contain folate plays in important role in the production of red blood cells and nurtures developing baby. So Vera should not be skeptical about the use of Folic acid, rather she should raise her concern to her gynaecologist and nurse as: Why folic acid is required for a pregnant woman, how it will be nursing her baby, How much dose she should take for her own and baby’s health, what should be the best time for taking etc.
Question 2: Should Vera take the folic acid pills even though she’s 3 months pregnant?
Answer: Usually, it is recommended to take folic acid upto 12 weeks of pregnancy as this is the time when development of brain and nervous system if very fast, deficiency of folic acid may cause spina bifida. Upto 12 weeks a pregnant is recommended to take dose of 400 mg per day and after 12 week she should take higher dose of folic acid supplements as 600 mg. She must have to consult gynaecologist for diagnosis of spina bifida at 18 to 21st week of her pregnancy. Vera should start taking Folic acid immediately per day (consult doctor for exact dose) and she is recommended to consume food containing folate a natural form of folic acid.
Question 3: Many dietary supplements that were once considered good for us have been have been shown to be either useless or harmful. Is it possible that this may be the case with folic acid? Should this influence Vera’s decision? Why or why not?
Answer: If Vera was including food containing folate such as orange, green leafy vegetables, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, boiled eggs etc. in her diet daily and she was taking all the other precautions and having good amount of folic acid in her blood then she should not be worried as all above mentioned food items provide ample amount of natural folate. As folic acid tablets are supplement to fulfil the need of folate in blood.
Question 4: How much research should Vera do if she decides to take folic acid?
Answer: Vera need to do research about the level of folic acid in her blood, and the mode of supplement she need to fulfil the demand of her bode to protect baby. It becomes necessary for her to diagnose for Spina fabida during 18th week of her pregnancy. She must have to focus on not to take overdose of folic acid tablet. She needs to research about all the naturally occurring folate food products.