Why pregnant women need to drink folic acid

Medicine

Why pregnant women need to drink folic acid

During pregnancy, the need for womenthe organism in essential vitamins, minerals and microelements increases. One of the most important vitamins that directly affect the healthy development of a child is folic acid.

Folic acid is of great importance whenplanning of pregnancy. She not only participates in the formation of healthy organs in a future child, but also contributes to the successful conception of the baby, which is important for couples planning a pregnancy in advance.

What is Folic Acid?

Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamingroup B, which does not accumulate and is not synthesized spontaneously in the body, in need of constant replenishment from the outside. Replenishment of a deficiency of folic acid occurs during meals, but not always in the diet of women and men there is a sufficient number of foods containing the required amount of valuable vitamin.

When there is a deficiency of the substance in the body,psycho-emotional background of a person, brain work worsens, anemia develops. Folic acid is involved in the process of forming the DNA and RNA of the unborn child. It determines the formation of a healthy genetic material, the normal development of cells and fetal tissues, the formation of a healthy central nervous system. That is why doctors appoint future mothers daily intake of folic acid in the early stages of pregnancy, when the most important processes of laying internal organs and the formation of the nervous system.

Why take folic acid in pregnancy planning?

Preparing for a long-awaited pregnancy -responsible and important case in which both parents participate. Both women and men who are interested in healthy and successful conception of the baby should monitor their diet and, if necessary, take additional vitamin complexes to compensate for the deficiency of folic acid in the body. This reduces the risk of developing various diseases in the future child, strengthens the health of parents, minimizes the risk of serious defects and malformations in the first month of pregnancy. If you start to drink vitamins not in the first trimester, but before pregnancy, the chances of having a healthy baby increase noticeably.

Also, folic acid is included in the treatment regimen for women suffering from infertility or reproductive harm.

Men are recommended to drink vitamins containingfolic acid, to improve the quality of sperm. If there are any problems with conception before pregnancy, there is a risk that a man can not conceive a child because of the presence of defective spermatozoa. In combination with vitamin E, folic acid helps to improve sperm production, increasing the likelihood of conception many times, and also increases the activity of spermatozoa.

Conscious planning of pregnancy is a guaranteesuccessful conception and development of a healthy fetus in the future. It is best if preparation for the long-awaited pregnancy begins 2-3 months before the expected date of conception. Future parents will be able to undergo all necessary examinations, start drinking vitamins, and also refuse from alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Nicotine destroys folic acid entering the body, so before pregnancy, all men and women are recommended to stop smoking.

How to take folic acid

If food is not supplied with sufficient foodthe amount of useful substances, the doctor prescribes the intake of additional vitamins. During pregnancy, it is very important to follow the doctor's prescription and take all the vitamins, as this directly affects the health of the baby's future.

Dosage of folic acid on the eve of pregnancy,and while waiting for the baby should be 0.8 mg per day. If necessary, the doctor increases the dosage to 4 mg per day, if the risk of any defects in the fetus increases. The instruction to the preparation notes that the daily norm of folic acid for an adult is 200 micrograms. During pregnancy and lactation this rate is doubled. It is very important that the dosage is not exceeded, since hypervitaminosis can be dangerous for the organism of a future mother.

What foods contain folic acid

Preparation for pregnancy should include a correction of the diet. It is necessary that the nutrition of women and men be balanced. The following products should be included in the diet: