How many weeks should I take folic acid?

Many pregnant women are familiar with folic acid, which is a common substance and a nutrient used to promote fetal development. Women need supplements when preparing for pregnancy and when pregnant. In the early stages of pregnancy, the doctor will measure the folic acid content in the pregnant woman's body and then ask her to supplement according to the situation. But at how many weeks of foetus should one stop taking folic acid? Are there any precautions for pregnant women when taking folic acid?

How many weeks should I take folic acid?

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.

Women of childbearing age should take 0.4 mg of folic acid daily starting three months before pregnancy and continue throughout the pregnancy. If you are not sure about your situation, be sure to consult your doctor. It is best to take folic acid half an hour to an hour before breakfast, and it is better absorbed on an empty stomach.

Folic acid is a compound composed of pterinidine, para-aminobenzoic acid and glutamic acid, and is a water-soluble B vitamin.

The important nutritional role of folic acid on the human body was confirmed as early as 1948. Folic acid deficiency in humans (or other animals) can cause megaloblastic anemia and leukocytopenia, as well as physical weakness, irritability, loss of appetite and mental illness symptoms.

In addition, studies have found that folic acid is especially important for pregnant women. If there is a lack of folic acid during the first three months of pregnancy, it can lead to neural tube defects in the fetus, thereby increasing the incidence of split-brain and anencephaly. Secondly, regular folic acid supplementation by pregnant women can prevent congenital malformations such as low birth weight, premature birth, and cleft palate (cleft lip) in newborns.

How to supplement folic acid? 4 points to note when supplementing folic acid correctly before pregnancy:

1. Critical period for folic acid supplementation

During the fetal period, brain development occurs earliest and most rapidly; 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%.

2. Mom and Dad make up together

Pregnant mothers are sometimes careless in the early stages of pregnancy and are not sure if they are pregnant, and may miss the best time to supplement folic acid.

Some experts suggest that women who may be pregnant or planning to have a baby should take folic acid supplements every day to prevent themselves from being caught off guard when the baby arrives. For men who are planning to become fathers, insufficient folic acid will reduce the concentration of semen and may also cause abnormal chromosome separation in sperm, which will bring a great possibility of serious diseases to the future baby. For those who are planning to have a baby, don’t forget to take folic acid supplements!

3. Supplement 600 mg per day

The total amount of folic acid in the human body is about 5 to 6 mg, but the human body cannot synthesize folic acid by itself and can only be absorbed from food.

The baby continues to grow and develop in the mother's body, and the mother's folic acid is transferred to him through the placenta. As the placental tissue and uterus continue to grow, the demand for folic acid becomes greater and greater. If it is not supplemented consciously, the folic acid level will decrease.

Experts believe that 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.

4. Folic acid supplementation is important

There are many foods that contain folic acid, but because folic acid becomes unstable when exposed to light and heat and easily loses its activity, the human body can only obtain very little folic acid from food. For example, vegetables lose 50% to 70% of folic acid after being stored for 2 to 3 days; cooking methods such as making soup will cause the loss of 50% to 95% of folic acid in food; vegetables soaked in salt water will also lose a lot of folic acid.