Patient's question:
Please experts, how should folic acid be supplemented one month before pregnancy? Can I take "Jinshi'erkang" supplements? Can I also take this vitamin during the first three months of pregnancy? Or must I take "Sulian" to achieve the effect of folic acid supplementation? Thank you! First follow-up question: I know I should take folic acid tablets, but there are many different brands of these tablets at the pharmacy, all containing 4 milligrams of folic acid. It seems I can't take too much, right? Should I not exceed 4 milligrams per day? I want to know which brand of folic acid tablets is better.Doctor's answer:
As long as it is from a regular manufacturer, it's fine! Folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin that is richly stored in green leafy vegetables, fruits, and animal livers. Folic acid participates in the entire process of human metabolism and is a necessary vitamin for synthesizing important substances like DNA in the human body. Its deficiency can not only lead to neural tube defects in fetuses but also increase the incidence of malformations in organs such as the eyes, lips, palate, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, kidneys, and bones.During the one month before pregnancy and the three months after pregnancy, taking 0.4 milligrams of folic acid supplements daily can prevent most neural tube defects in fetuses. It is worth noting that women taking folic acid should do so under the guidance of a doctor. Additionally, the following points should be taken into consideration:
1. Folic acid must be taken one month before pregnancy. The emphasis on starting before pregnancy is to ensure that women maintain a certain level of folic acid in their bodies, guaranteeing a better nutritional state for the early stages of embryonic development. Research shows that it takes four weeks for women to correct a deficiency in folic acid after taking supplements. This way, during the sensitive period of neural tube formation in early pregnancy, sufficient folic acid can meet the needs of nervous system development, and it must be taken consistently during the first three months of pregnancy to achieve the best preventive effect.
2. Women in regions with a low incidence of neural tube defects in China should also supplement with folic acid. The incidence of neural tube defects in China is higher in northern areas than in southern areas and higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Therefore, some people believe that women in low-risk areas do not need to take folic acid during pregnancy. However, this misconception is likely to become a source of