【Abstract】: Folic acid is an indispensable substance for the rapid growth and development of the fetus. A large amount of clinical data shows that folic acid deficiency is one of the important causes of miscarriage, stillbirth and stillbirth in pregnant women, and is also the main cause of lifelong disability in children. Many women attach great importance to folic acid supplementation to prevent birth defects, but obstetricians find that many women make mistakes. Folic acid is an indispensable substance for the rapid growth and development of the fetus. A large amount of clinical data shows that folic acid deficiency is one of the important causes of miscarriage, stillbirth, and stillbirth in pregnant women, and is also the main cause of lifelong disability in children. Many women attach great importance to folic acid supplementation to prevent birth defects, but obstetricians find that many women make mistakes.
Only 30% of birth defects are treatable
Currently, nearly 20 million newborns are born in our country every year. Based on a birth defect rate of 5%, the number of new defects every year will reach 900,000. As the number of older mothers increases, the prevention of birth defects faces severe challenges. Data show that in 2016, the national birth population was estimated to be 17.88 million, but the actual birth population was 18.46 million. Based on the estimated population of 17.88 million births in 2017, an additional 1 million children with defects will be born this year.
Of these people, only 30% can be cured or corrected, 40% will be disabled for life, and 30% cannot be cured. Professor Zhang Xueqin, director of the obstetrics department of Xiamen Maternal and Child Health Hospital, introduced.
Among them, neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly can lead to permanent disability, inability to take care of oneself, and even stillbirth. Fortunately, folic acid supplementation in women of childbearing age has been shown to be an effective way to prevent fetal neural tube defects.
Not getting enough folic acid through food supplements
Vegetables such as broccoli and spinach are relatively high in folate. However, Zhang Xueqin pointed out that food supplementation is far from reaching the concentration required to prevent neural tube defects. It is understood that the red blood cell folic acid level of pregnant women needs to be above 906nmol/L to prevent fetal neural tube defects.
Many women know the importance of folic acid supplements and are indeed taking folic acid supplements, but they just don’t do it correctly. Professor Gu Jian, deputy director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, said that many people supplement folic acid in small yellow tablets that generally contain 5 mg. However, in order to prevent neural tube defects, it is necessary to supplement 0.4 mg or 0.8 mg of folic acid. Or a multivitamin containing this dose of folic acid, which can be better absorbed in the presence of other trace elements. According to clinical studies, women preparing to become pregnant take a multivitamin containing 0.8mg of folic acid more effectively in preventing neural tube defects than taking a single folic acid tablet, effectively reducing neural tube defects by 92%. At the same time, the vitamin B12 contained in multivitamins for pregnant women can effectively improve the utilization of folic acid and is also involved in maintaining normal nerve function and red blood cell production. If you take an overdose of 5 mg of folic acid, you may be \”overwhelmed\” and causeother fetal anomalies.
However, for high-risk groups, such as women with neural tube defects themselves, women who have given birth to babies with neural tube defects, or women who are undergoing treatment, such as women taking antibiotics, it is recommended to give birth in the first three months of pregnancy. And add 45 mg of folic acid after three months of pregnancy.
Start supplementing 3 months before pregnancy
Many people take folic acid supplements when they are pregnant. However, to achieve the ideal preventive concentration of folic acid in the body, if you supplement 0.4 mg per day, it will take 68 weeks to reach the preventive concentration; if you supplement 0.8 mg per day, it will take 4 weeks to reach the preventive concentration. Gu Jian said. The development of the fetal heart and neural tube occurs during the 46th week of gestation. At this time, many people have not yet discovered that they are pregnant. It\’s too late to supplement after you know you\’re pregnant. Therefore, Gu Jian said that it is generally recommended to start supplementing with folic acid 3 months before planning a pregnancy and continue taking it until the 12th week of pregnancy. You can also go longer if you want to reduce your risk of anemia and high blood pressure during pregnancy. If it is assisted reproductive technology, you also need to start supplementation early. I recommend starting supplementation before ovulation induction.