1. Critical period for folic acid supplementation
During the fetal period, the brain develops earliest and fastest; the first trimester (3-6 weeks) is a critical period for the growth and development of the fetal central nervous system.
At the end of the fourth week of pregnancy, the embryo forms a primitive brain vesicle. Although the fetus is only about 3 centimeters long and weighs more than 2 grams at the 8th week, brain cells proliferate rapidly at this time and are most susceptible to teratogenic factors. Influence. If folic acid is supplemented at this critical time, the risk of fetal neural tube can be reduced by 50% to 70%.
2. Mom and dad put on makeup together
Pregnant mothers are sometimes careless in the early stages of pregnancy and are not sure whether 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 pay attention to supplementing folic acid every day to avoid being caught off guard when the baby comes to \”check in.\” For men who are preparing to become fathers, insufficient folic acid will reduce the concentration of semen and may also lead to abnormal sperm chromosome segregation, which will put the future baby at high risk of serious diseases. Expectant fathers and expectant mothers, don’t forget to supplement with folic acid!
3. Supplement with 600 mg per day
The total amount of folic acid in the human body is about 5-6 mg, but the human body cannot synthesize folic acid on its own and can only ingest and digest it from food. The baby continues to grow and develop in the mother\’s body, and the mother\’s folic acid is delivered to him through the placenta. As the placental tissue and uterus continue to develop, the need for folic acid increases. Without conscious supplementation, folate levels can decrease. Pregnant mothers need to supplement 600-800 micrograms of folic acid every day to meet their baby\’s growth needs and their own needs.
4. Pay attention to supplementing folic acid
There are many foods containing folic acid, but because folic acid is unstable when exposed to light and heat and easily loses activity, the human body cannot really obtain much folic acid from food. For example, if vegetables are stored for 23 days, 50% to 70% of folic acid will be lost; cooking methods such as soup will cause 50% to 95% of folic acid in food to be lost; vegetables soaked in salt water will also lose a large amount of folic acid. Therefore, pregnant mothers should change some cooking habits to reduce the loss of folic acid as much as possible and increase the intake of foods rich in folic acid. If necessary, folic acid preparations, folic acid tablets, multivitamin tablets, etc. can be supplemented.
5. Folic acid cannot be taken randomly
1) Long-term use of folic acid will interfere with the zinc metabolism of pregnant mothers. Once zinc intake is insufficient, it will affect the development of the fetus.
2) It is best for pregnant mothers to take folic acid preparations under the guidance of a doctor. The only folic acid supplement on the market approved by the state health department for the prevention of fetal neural tube defects is quadruple tablets, each containing 400 micrograms.
3) If a woman has given birth to a baby with a neural tube defect, it is best to go to the hospital for examination when she becomes pregnant again, and follow the doctor\’s advice to increase her daily folic acid intake.Until 12 weeks after pregnancy.