Few people know that folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin B9. It is necessary for the growth and development of the immune and circulatory systems. The importance of folic acid for pregnancy is difficult to overestimate. It is necessary, first of all, for the correct formation of the embryo, since it participates in the synthesis of DNA. Folic acid is also useful for the active process of cell division and growth. It is able to prevent the fetus from developing various defects, including defects in the brain and neural tube. In addition, folic acid is involved in blood formation (the formation of erythrocytes, platelets and leukocytes), is extremely important for the growth and development of the placenta and new vessels in the uterus. Folic acid is necessary in the period of laying the brain and nervous system of the fetus.
Admission of folic acid should begin several months before the planned pregnancy and continue the entire first trimester of pregnancy, because it is during this period that such important components as the brain and nervous system of the baby are formed.
What happens with a deficiency of folic acid?
Symptoms of lack of folic acid in the early stages are fatigue, loss of appetite, irritability. With severe acid deficiency, a woman can develop megaloblastic anemia when the bone marrow starts producing unripe red blood cells. The condition is accompanied by diarrhea and nausea, abdominal pain, hair loss, memory problems and the appearance of painful ulcers in the throat and mouth.
With chronic folic acid deficiency, a person develops frequent depressions. Girls may experience a delay in puberty. In older women, an early menopause occurs, and for the elderly, the lack of vitamin B9 is dangerous for the development of atherosclerosis and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Why is folic acid pregnant?
Lack of folic acid during pregnancy is especially dangerous. It leads to defects in the development of the neural tube of the baby - the absence of the brain, the formation of cerebral hernias, hydrocephalus, spina bifida. There may be defects from other body systems: malformations of the cardiovascular system, the formation of a hare lip and cleft palate.
Increased risk of miscarriage, disrupted the development of placental tissues, there is a risk of detachment of the placenta, stillbirth or delayed fetal growth.
Dosage of folic acid in pregnancy
As for the dosage of folic acid, it should be determined by the attending physician. The average intake of folic acid for pregnant women is 600 mkg. If women exhibit symptoms of folic acid deficiency or have had cases of birth of children with malformations associated with folic insufficiency, the dosage of folic acid increases to 5 mg per day. This dose is shown in the period of preparation for pregnancy, as well as in the first trimester of pregnancy.
You can not independently assess the degree of risk and prescribe the drug without consulting your doctor. Wrong and uncontrolled
Excess folic acid during pregnancy can lead to the birth of sick children who are at risk of developing asthma before the age of 3. In children born to women with an excess of B9, the risk of developing respiratory diseases is high up to eighteen months.
Fortunately, excess folate is extremely rare. In most cases, the excess amount is simply removed from the body.