Do women need to take folic acid supplements before pregnancy?

Folic acid is actually a type of vitamin, and pregnant women have a very high demand for folic acid. In the early stages of pregnancy, folic acid is needed for all aspects of fetal growth. In the middle stages of pregnancy, in addition to fetal growth and development, it is also greatly needed for the pregnant woman herself. If folic acid is not supplemented sufficiently, serious consequences will occur. The most important thing about folic acid deficiency is that it will have a great impact on the intellectual development of the infant in the later stages. So do women before pregnancy need to supplement folic acid?

Generally speaking, the most scientific time is to start 3 months before pregnancy. Women who are preparing for pregnancy should continue taking it until the third month of pregnancy. For pregnant women with higher folic acid needs, folic acid supplementation is needed throughout the pregnancy. Especially when it comes to early pregnancy and early seeking of fertility, the early stage of pregnancy is the most critical period for organ differentiation and placenta formation. If pregnant women lack folic acid at this time, it will affect the normal development of the fetus's brain and nervous system. In severe cases, it may cause miscarriage and premature birth due to poor placental development. In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, the need for folic acid needs to increase, otherwise the future growth and intellectual development of the fetus will be seriously affected.

When preparing for pregnancy, many inexperienced women think that since folic acid is so important, the more the better. In fact, this is wrong. Taking too much folic acid can have the opposite effect.

First of all, excessive folic acid supplementation will lead to the pregnant woman's absorption of zinc, which will cause the fetus to be unable to absorb zinc, causing the fetus's growth and development to become slow and the birth weight to be low.

Secondly, for pregnant mothers with convulsions. Excessive folic acid supplementation will interfere with the effects of anticonvulsant drugs, thereby inducing seizures in pregnant mothers.

Finally, folic acid can mask the early symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, causing damage to the fetus's nervous system. Therefore, too much folic acid is harmful rather than beneficial, so it is recommended that women who are planning to become pregnant must supplement folic acid in moderation. Under a normal diet, women who are planning to become pregnant can take 400 micrograms of folic acid per day in a small dose of folic acid supplements specially made for pregnant women.

Through the above introduction, we know that folic acid plays an important role in the growth and development of pregnant women and babies. It is best to supplement folic acid in the first three months of pregnancy to allow the body to create a folic acid environment in advance. While supplementing folic acid, it is not so important to take a large amount of folic acid. Everything has to have a degree. Exceeding this degree may be counterproductive, so it is necessary to supplement in moderation.