Benefits of folic acid during pregnancy

During the perinatal period, the female body undergoes serious metamorphoses and requires special attention. Now, for normal functioning, he needs even more vitamins and other important elements that are difficult to obtain in sufficient quantities through food. One of the important elements during pregnancy is folic acid, which is prescribed to absolutely all mothers in the first trimester. What role does it play and is it really necessary?

Why folic acid is useful during pregnancy

Lack of folic acid is observed in almost every person, but not everyone knows about their "diagnosis". But if the lack of a vitamin in a simple adult is not so pronounced, then in a pregnant woman, a deficiency is fraught with serious problems. Obvious signs of folic acid deficiency are: vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, the formation of ulcers in the mouth, irritability, fatigue. In especially severe cases, with a strong and prolonged vitamin deficiency, megaloblastic anemia, the consequence of which can be fatal.

Folic acid has a great influence on the formation of the DNA and RNA code, which ensures the full growth and development of the baby. This prevents the development of cancer. Vitamin B9 takes an active part in the formation of the placenta, therefore, with a deficiency, FPN can form, which will jeopardize the further development of pregnancy. Folic acid is responsible for the process of cell division, which is very important for the normal growth of the unborn baby.

It is also worth noting the direct effect of vitamin B9 on the formation of the baby's neural tube. When shortage  this  acid  in  organism future mother, the risk of developing pathologies in a child multiplies, including:

• congenital deformities;
• lag in the development of the physical and mental plan;
• the lack of a brain in the born;
• spine defects;
• cerebral hernia;
• premature delivery;
• stillbirth.

Folic acid is needed not only for the baby, but also for the mother herself. So, with a lack of this element, there is severe toxicosis, anemia, depressive conditions, pain in the legs, etc.

Almost all pregnant women are prescribed to take this drug, but it is still impossible to drink it without the permission of a doctor. Since it is the doctor who must determine the dosage and period of taking vitamin B9. The start of admission occurs, as a rule, at the moment as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed by doctors, although ideally, the course should be started from the moment of planning a pregnancy.

Remember that the lack of folic acid is inevitably transmitted to the baby, so it is worth taking care of a worthy "inheritance" in advance in order to ensure good health for the child!

Folic acid dosage during pregnancy

To cover the daily norm of an adult in this substance, you need to take 0.2 mg, but in the perinatal period, the need for vitamin B9 increases several times. In a minimum amount, this vitamin should be supplied in an amount of 0.4 mg per day, but not more than 0.8 mg. However, there are cases when a pregnant woman is at risk, when there is a serious lack of folic acid, then the doctor's daily dosage is increased to the level of 5 mg.

You can calculate the required number of folic acid tablets by examining the packaging for the drug. A common dosage option is 1,000 mcg (that's 1 mg). Often doctors prescribe a similar dosage in the amount of 1 tablet per day. In cases of severe vitamin deficiency, a more potent medication can be prescribed, where in just one tablet the concentration of folic acid reaches 5,000 mcg.

There is one important factor to consider before taking a single folic acid supplement. If you are taking a multivitamin for pregnant women at the same time, they often also contain a considerable amount of acid, so warn him about vitamins before taking a drug prescribed by a doctor.

How to take folic acid during pregnancy

The folic acid preparation is taken immediately after a meal in the dosage prescribed by the doctor. The duration of admission is also set by the gynecologist, taking into account the individual characteristics of the pregnant woman's body.

Many mothers are interested in the question of a possible overdose of the drug. You can calm down - this acid is absolutely non-toxic, and in case of an excess of a substance, the body gets rid of it on its own. But you should still be careful, since a strong excess of folic acid with becomes the reason lowering the level of vitamin B12, and this is already fraught with the development of anemia, the appearance of problems in the work of the digestive tract, kidney ailments and nervous irritability. To earn such problems, you need to very much overestimate the dosage of acid for 3 months, but it is unlikely that in a normal state during this period a woman will use 15 tablets of the drug daily.