Folic acid is often mentioned, but many people do not know what it is. In fact, another name for folic acid is vitamin B9. In other words, this is a type of vitamin with water-soluble characteristics. Women should supplement folic acid during the preconception stage and during pregnancy. In addition, folic acid also has many benefits for human health.

How to properly supplement folic acid after pregnancy may not be familiar to many mothers. Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin. Although folic acid may not seem very important in the human body, it is an essential factor for protein and nucleic acid synthesis, and is indispensable for the rapid proliferation of hemoglobin, red blood cells, white blood cells, amino acid metabolism, and the metabolism of long-chain fatty acids in the brain such as DNA, playing an indispensable role in the human body.

During the fetal period, the brain develops earliest and most rapidly; the early pregnancy period (3-6 weeks) is the key period for the growth and development of the fetal central nervous system. By the end of the fourth week of pregnancy, the embryo has formed the primary brain vesicle. Although the fetus is only about 3 centimeters long and weighs only 2 grams more at the 8th week, its brain cells proliferate rapidly and are most susceptible to teratogenic factors. If folic acid is supplemented at this critical time, the risk of neural tube defects in the fetus can be reduced by 50% to 70%.

When should folic acid be taken? This is a question that many new mothers are eager to know.

New mothers all know that the six months from three months before pregnancy to three months after pregnancy are important periods for the mother to supplement folic acid. At this time,适量补充folic acid can meet the large demand for folic acid during the early formation of the placenta. If supplemented adequately, it can have the best effect in preventing neural tube defects in the fetus. If childbearing women cannot determine when they can get pregnant, they can start taking folic acid from the time of planning to conceive, taking a moderate amount of folic acid supplements or folic acid tablets (usually 0.4 milligrams of folic acid per day is sufficient), which is good for their own health and the healthy development of the baby.

Many women know that supplementing folic acid during pregnancy is necessary because taking folic acid can effectively prevent neural tube defects in infants and prevent birth defects such as cleft lip and anencephaly. However, many women do not know when it is best to take folic acid. Next, we will explain in detail.

The International Society for Nutrition Research has found that women of childbearing age should start supplementing folic acid three months before conception. It is emphasized that taking folic acid three months before pregnancy is to maintain a certain level of folic acid in women’s bodies to ensure that the embryo has a good folic acid nutritional status early in pregnancy.

Research also finds that the first three months of pregnancy are a key period for supplementing folic acid, and it is best to take folic acid at this time. The first three months of pregnancy are an important period for the growth and development of the fetus. At this time, the human body has a much higher demand for nutrients compared to ordinary people. If the mother is deficient in folic acid at this time, the baby may be born with birth defects, such as congenital heart disease, cleft lip, and mental retardation.