Patient's question:
I have an itchy lower body, and my underwear is always yellow. What's going on? When should I take folic acid and calcium?Doctor's answer:
The main purpose of taking folic acid is to prevent congenital neural tube defects in the fetus. It primarily acts on the third and fourth weeks of embryonic development during the early stages of pregnancy, as a deficiency in folic acid at this time can lead to neural tube defects. After entering the second trimester, the relevant development is already complete, so there is no need to specifically supplement folic acid anymore—just maintaining a balanced diet is sufficient. Therefore, folic acid supplementation can be stopped after the third month of pregnancy.