Should I take folic acid when preparing for pregnancy?

Nowadays people take pregnancy very seriously and will make preparations once they have the idea of ​​getting pregnant. Therefore, babies nowadays are very healthy and smart, and there are basically no babies with problems. Pregnant women should pay attention to their diet before getting pregnant. First, they should adjust their bodies, and then start taking folic acid. The main function of folic acid is to prevent fetal malformations. It can be seen the importance of taking folic acid during pregnancy, so everyone must take folic acid when preparing for pregnancy.

Most women should know that they should pay attention to folic acid supplementation during pregnancy or before pregnancy. In fact, folic acid supplementation is mainly to effectively prevent the occurrence of fetal neural tube defects, so couples who are preparing for pregnancy must pay attention to this common sense.

1. Folic acid is a very important vitamin for fetal development, but there are currently two folic acid dosage forms on the market, one is a 5 mg dosage form, and the other is a small dosage form of 0.4 mg per tablet. Pregnant women should remember to take small tablets.

2. Lack of folic acid in pregnant women can cause fetal neural tube defects, as well as miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight and other problems. Since the need for folic acid increases greatly during pregnancy, and the folic acid contained in various green leafy vegetables, animal liver, egg yolk, beans, etc. that we often eat will lose 50%-80% during cooking, so folic acid deficiency is very common among pregnant women.

3. Generally speaking, even a normal balanced diet still requires additional folic acid supplementation, and it should be supplemented before pregnancy or in the first three months of pregnancy as much as possible to play a preventive role. However, the dosage of folic acid supplementation must be strictly controlled. Large tablets of folic acid are usually used to treat anemia, especially megaloblastic anemia; pregnant women should take small tablets, and 1-2 tablets a day are enough. Excessive intake of folic acid not only fails to prevent fetal malformations, but may also cause other adverse consequences such as zinc deficiency or nerve damage. Pregnant women who already have anemia should not take it at will. They must follow the doctor's advice and choose appropriate medication for treatment.