Who says that vitamins and supplements should be taken after pregnancy, there are some supplements and vitamins which you should start taking while planning your pregnancy. Today we will tell you about folic acid and why it is important before pregnancy.
Folic Acid for Healthy Pregnancy: Planning a pregnancy is not only a happy decision, but also a very responsible step. This responsibility begins from where the first foundation of your future child is laid – with the development of his brain and spinal cord. This is why doctors constantly recommend that it is very important to take folic acid before pregnancy. Many women think that supplements are taken after pregnancy, but the truth is exactly the opposite. The body has to prepare in advance the nutrition that the child needs in the initial days of pregnancy. Gynecologist Dr. Sonal Parihar has explained through her Insta video why folic acid is necessary for a mother planning pregnancy and what is its importance.
Why is folic acid so important before pregnancy?
Folic acid i.e. Vitamin B-9, is a nutrient which is considered very important for the proper structure of the brain and spinal cord of the child from the beginning. The baby’s nervous system starts developing right at the beginning of pregnancy, this process continues rapidly in the first 4-6 weeks of pregnancy. This is the time when a structure called the neural tube is formed, which later forms the brain and spinal cord. If the body does not get enough folic acid at this time, the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida or anencephaly increases, which can cause serious and life-long problems in the child.
Dr. Sonal Parihar (Gynecologist – BHU Varanasi and London Trend) believes that most women detect pregnancy in the 5-6th week, while by this time the formation of the neural tube is almost complete. That is, if you start taking folic acid pregnancy test after it is positive, then the most important time of the body’s need has already passed.
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When to start and how much to take?
Gynecologists recommend that folic acid should be started as soon as pregnancy is planned. Women should start taking folic acid 1–2 months before conceiving, so that the level of Vitamin B-9 in the body becomes sufficient to provide full support to the development and growth of the child in the first 30 days.
The typical daily dose is 400–600 micrograms, which is a general recommendation for every healthy woman. But if a woman has any pre-existing health condition – such as diabetes, epilepsy, obesity or has had a neural tube defect in a previous pregnancy – then the doctor may also prescribe a higher dose (4–5 mg). This quantity should be taken only on doctor’s advice.
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