How to take folic acid during pregnancy

Folic acid is a vitamin present in everyone's body, especially for pregnant women. Because if a pregnant woman lacks folic acid in her body, it can easily lead to congenital malformations in the fetus, so most pregnant women will take folic acid tablets to supplement the folic acid needed in their body. However, it is not appropriate to take large amounts of folic acid during every period of pregnancy. Today, we will introduce how to take folic acid for pregnant women.

Pregnant mothers need to supplement 600 to 800 micrograms of folic acid every day to meet the baby's growth needs and their own needs. During the fetal period, brain development is the earliest and most rapid; the early pregnancy (3 to 6 weeks) is the critical period for the growth and development of the fetal central nervous system.

The embryo forms primitive brain vesicles at the fourth week of pregnancy. Although the fetus is only about 3 cm long and its weight has only increased by more than 2 grams at the eighth week, its brain cells proliferate rapidly at this time and are most susceptible to teratogenic factors. 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%.

What are the precautions for taking folic acid?

1. Start taking folic acid supplements in the first three months of pregnancy: In 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 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 a small tablet daily: There are two folic acid formulations on the market, one is 5 mg per tablet, and the other is a small dosage of 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 supplemented 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.