How long should pregnant women take folic acid?

Women who have given birth know that they need to take folic acid during pregnancy. This will allow them to supplement enough iron and prevent anemia, which is naturally beneficial to the pregnant woman herself and the baby in her belly. So how long should pregnant women take folic acid? This is a concern of many people. Next, let us let the experts in obstetrics and gynecology give you a detailed answer! I hope that through the editor’s introduction, it can help pregnant friends.

Folic acid supplementation should continue throughout the entire pregnancy. If you did not take folic acid supplements before pregnancy, there is no need to worry too much. Starting folic acid supplementation from the time you discover you are pregnant can still help reduce the risk of fetal developmental abnormalities. The first three months of pregnancy are the critical period for the development of the fetal neural tube. If pregnant mothers supplement with sufficient folic acid, it can significantly reduce neural tube defects and greatly reduce the incidence of anencephaly and congenital spina bifida.

Pregnant women who have the conditions can take it throughout the pregnancy and lactation period to benefit the health of the mother and the growth and development of the fetus and newborn. Generally, you can stop taking folic acid three months after pregnancy depending on the situation.

Precautions for taking folic acid

Many pregnant mothers know that they need to supplement folic acid before pregnancy, but they don’t know when to start taking folic acid, how much to take, and they don’t know much about the precautions of taking folic acid. Folic acid supplementation needs to start 3 months before pregnancy. Generally, folic acid tablets are taken to supplement folic acid. Only one tablet is needed a day. Do not take an overdose. When supplementing folic acid, do not take it together with vitamin C.

Precautions for using folic acid

The precautions for consuming folic acid include the following three points:

1. Start taking folic acid supplements three months before pregnancy

During the first three months of pregnancy, the human body's neural tube begins to develop and nerve cells begin to divide. If folic acid is deficient at this time, the neural tube will not develop completely and deformed babies may easily occur. If folic acid is supplemented at this critical time, the risk of neural tube disease in the fetus can be reduced by 50% to 70%. Therefore, women should start taking folic acid supplements in the first three months of pregnancy preparation; in the early stages of pregnancy, take folic acid for another three months; in the late stages of pregnancy, folic acid can be taken appropriately depending on the situation.

2. Take one small tablet daily

There are currently two folic acid formulations on the market, one containing 5 mg per tablet and the other containing 0.4 mg per tablet. Pregnant women should take a small dose, one tablet a day is enough. Excessive intake of folic acid not only fails to prevent fetal malformations, but may also mask the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, interfere with zinc metabolism, and cause adverse consequences such as zinc deficiency or nerve damage in pregnant women. If you do not conceive after taking folic acid for three months, you should continue to take folic acid supplements until three months after pregnancy.

3. Folic acid should not be taken together with vitamin C

Folic acid is easily destroyed in an acidic environment and is relatively stable in alkaline and neutral environments; while vitamin C and vitamins B2 and B6 are relatively stable in an acidic environment. If you take vitamin C, vitamin B2 and vitamin B6 while supplementing folic acid, the absorption rate will be affected because their stable environments conflict with each other. In view of this, it is best to take the two drugs at least half an hour apart.

How long should pregnant women take folic acid? I believe everyone has understood this question after reading the above. I hope that women can eat according to the above requirements after pregnancy, so as to achieve the best iron supplement effect. However, we cannot supplement iron by taking folic acid alone. We need to diversify the types of food we eat on a daily basis. The most important thing is not to be picky about food.