Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Tests and Treatment for Mom

Since 60% of moms with babies who have DS have a difficult time metabolizing folate, ask your doctor to run a homocysteine test on you and to find what (if any) MTHFR mutation you may have. (Jett has one and I haven't tested myself, but supplement anyway.) If your homocysteine is high, then you have risks of birth defects and placental problems in future pregnancies and you also have a risk, yourself, of heart disease and bone issues.

The good news is that the effects of the MTHFR mutation are relatively easy to fix. Supplementation includes folinic acid, B12, B6 and TMG. The amount depends on how many & what mutuations you have (see below).

Many moms get a prescription for Folgard, or the generic folbee. You can buy OTC Folgard and take several per day, depending on how many MTHFR mutations you have. One OTC Folgard contains the following:

Folic Acid: 0.8 mg (800 mcg)
B6: 10 mg
B12: .115 mg (115 mcg)

If you went that route, you would need about 3 OTC Folgards to match one Rx Folgard.

If you want to do OTC Folic Acid, B6 and B12, here are the quantities you need, according to the pharmacist I talked to, to match the amounts in one prescription Folgard:

If you have one MTHFR mutation (these quantities are what's in one Rx Folgard):
If you have one MTHFR mutation (these quantities are what's in one Rx Folgard):
Folic Acid: 2.2 mg
B6: 25 mg
B12: 1mg

If you have 2 mutations:
Folic Acid: 4.4 mg
B6: 50 mg
B12: 2 mg


Products
Folinic Acid

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Metafolin&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=16258278265168263645&sa=X&ei=1-bcTd0JzLi2B-_joakP&ved=0CD8Q8wIwAg&biw=1024&bih=615#

http://www.iherb.com/Metagenics-FolaPro-120-Tablets/20940?at=0
http://www.iherb.com/Metagenics-FolaPro-120-Tablets/20940?at=0

B12 http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Vitamin-B-12-Methylcobalamin-Raspberry-Flavor

B6

TMG


Some people who are sensitive to methly, may be sensitive to trimethylgycine and should take small doses. High doses of TMG trimethylglycine can cause side effects such a soverstimulation, insomnia, restlessness, headache, and rapid heart beat.
  SORRY great info somehow just got deleted! If you guys somehow have this info that was here, I'd really appreciate you resending... :(
It's going to take me a while to get it all back. :(

Related Posts
How to Prevent DS in Your Next Child in 60% of Moms
Fermented Cod Liver Oil
Fats & Oils
Folic Acid Cut Alzheimer’s Risk in Half
Methylation Pathways
Why B12 & Folinic Acid for Down syndrome?

1 comment:

Rosa said...

This is a very interesting post. My first son has trisomy 21, but my second one is typical. With my first son, I took folic acid long time before getting pregnant. With my second one, I didn't take folic acid before getting pregnant. I didn't know about the homocysteine test, which I will consider to get it done if we decide having a 3rd child.