Folic acid is a vitamin that expectant mothers must supplement before becoming mothers. Although the body does not require a large amount of this nutrient, it plays a vital role in your baby\’s development and gene expression.
Recent medical surveys have found that taking folic acid for more than one month before conception can reduce the incidence of birth defects by 50%. Neural tube defects occur in early pregnancy and are an important cause of fetal death. Anencephaly and spina bifida are the most common birth defects, with an incidence rate of 0.08% to 0.09%. Therefore, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that not only pregnant women, but all women of childbearing age should take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. Experts believe that the egg embryo may already have neurological defects one month after conception, so taking folic acid after conception cannot prevent birth. defect.
Folic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin that is abundant in green leafy vegetables, fruits and animal livers. It can participate in the entire process of human metabolism and is a basic element for cell proliferation, tissue metabolism and body development. It is an essential nutrient for the synthesis of DNA. Lack of folic acid in pregnant women can lead to neural tube malformations in the fetus, and can increase the malformation rate of the eyes, lips, palate, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular, kidneys, bones and other organs. Folic acid deficiency can also easily lead to pregnancy-induced hypertension, spontaneous abortion, intrauterine growth retardation, premature birth and low birth weight of newborns. According to the latest research, miscarriage or premature birth caused by folic acid deficiency is difficult to avoid by any other measures.
Therefore, it is crucial for the development of the fetus whether the folic acid in the body of pregnant women reaches the standard. Surveys show that 62% of pregnant women who deliver malformed fetuses are folic acid deficient. Proactively supplementing folic acid is to lay the foundation for giving birth to a healthy baby. However, folic acid supplementation cannot start when pregnancy is discovered. It must be at least 3 months in advance, because it takes at least 4 weeks after taking folic acid to improve the folic acid deficiency in the body. . I started supplementing with folic acid only after I learned that I was pregnant, and it was already one or two months after fertilization. This caused the early fetus’s brain and spinal cord to be underdeveloped due to insufficient folic acid, resulting in brain and spinal cord failure. defects occur, therefore, experts recommend starting to supplement folic acid 3 months before planned conception. Taking it starting 3 months before pregnancy can maintain the folic acid in the body at a certain level, avoid the incomplete development of the nervous system due to lack of folic acid during the sensitive period of early fetal neural tube formation, and reduce the risk of fetal eyes, lips, cardiovascular, and kidney function. , deformity rate of bones, etc.
When expectant mothers start taking folic acid before pregnancy, expectant fathers cannot ignore the intake of folic acid before pregnancy. NewestThe survey results show that low sperm content in men is also related to the lack of folic acid in the body, because folic acid can help the synthesis of DNA, so men with low sperm content should also supplement folic acid. Insufficient folic acid will cause abnormal nucleic acid metabolism, which will affect the quality of male sperm. For example, the concentration of semen will be reduced, the motility of sperm will be weakened, and even the chromosomes of sperm will be damaged. Folic acid can effectively prevent the occurrence of fetal neural tube defects, but it cannot be blindly supplemented in large amounts, because excessive intake of folic acid can lead to some progressive and unknown neurological damage. According to the recommendations of the Chinese Nutrition Society, the daily folic acid intake for women planning pregnancy and pregnant women is 400 micrograms, with an upper limit of 800 micrograms.
Women who plan to become pregnant should start taking it 3 months before the plan, so that the folic acid in the body has reached the ideal level by the time of pregnancy, and then take it every day until the pregnancy is 3 months, so that the folic acid in the body is always at the ideal level. level to ensure fetal development needs.
It is worth reminding that it must be taken every day. Because folic acid remains in the body for a short time, levels in the body will decrease after a day.
If missed, supplementary dose will be invalid. The impact of lowering folic acid levels caused by missing a dose the day before cannot be compensated.
Researchers from the University of Texas in the United States reported in the recently published \”PLoS ONE\” that they followed approximately 35,000 pregnant women and their delivery conditions. The results found that if women took folic acid supplements for at least 1 year before pregnancy, the risk of giving birth between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy was reduced by 50%.
This article is provided by Baidu Reading and is excerpted from \”Three Months Before Pregnancy – Pregnancy Preparation Period\” Author: Wang Liru