Many mothers who are planning to have children will know a drug – folic acid – and will take it in advance. Folic acid plays an important role in cell division and growth and in the synthesis of nucleic acids, amino acids and proteins. Lack of folic acid in the body can lead to abnormalities in red blood cells, an increase in immature cells, anemia and a decrease in white blood cells. Folic acid is an indispensable nutrient for fetal growth and development. Deficiency of folic acid in pregnant women may lead to low birth weight, cleft lip and palate, and heart defects in the fetus. If folic acid is deficient during the first 3 months of pregnancy, it can cause defects in the development of the fetal neural tube, which can lead to malformations. Therefore, women who are preparing to get pregnant can start taking 100 mcg to 300 mcg of folic acid daily before they get pregnant. Although folic acid is a good thing, even good things should be used wisely to bring out its benefits, otherwise, it is easy to make a mistake. Let’s have a proper understanding of folic acid, a drug that we all know, but may not really understand. I. Folic acid findings Folic acid is the boat of pregnancy preparation. Almost 100% of women already know the importance of folic acid before they get pregnant. However, not every woman who is preparing for pregnancy has started taking folic acid supplements from the first trimester. The results of the online poll show that 50% of women start taking folic acid supplements when they are preparing for pregnancy, while 30% start taking folic acid supplements only after they are pregnant. Regarding the dosage of folic acid supplementation, more than 60% chose 0.4 mg per day. As for the question of whether there are side effects of excessive folic acid supplementation, 62% of people said it was the first time they heard that there were some side effects of excessive folic acid supplementation. In addition, less than 40% thought that men preparing for pregnancy needed folic acid supplementation. More people said they were not sure, or they thought men did not need to take folic acid. Second, the science of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy From the survey data, although couples preparing for pregnancy have a certain awareness of folic acid supplementation, there are still some netizens who say they are not very clear or do not care. Whether you are a man or a woman, married or married, it is necessary to understand the scientific method of folic acid supplementation, which is a responsible performance for yourself, your wife and your child. 1.Why should I take folic acid supplementation in the first trimester of pregnancy? The importance of folic acid supplementation is believed to be known by every couple of childbearing age. However, some people cannot help but have the question that since folic acid is mainly for the prevention of major birth defects and neural tube abnormalities in fetuses, it should be supplemented after pregnancy as well. Folic acid supplementation before pregnancy is a good nutritional state for the mother In order to maintain a certain level of folic acid in a woman’s body, it is important to start taking it 3 months before pregnancy to ensure a good nutritional state of folic acid in the early embryo. It takes 4 weeks for the mother’s body to fully absorb folic acid, and preconception supplementation is more appropriate. According to research, it takes 4 weeks for a woman’s folic acid deficiency to be effectively improved after taking folic acid. In this way, during the sensitive period of fetal neural tube formation in early pregnancy, sufficient folic acid can meet the needs of neurological development, and it must be taken consistently during the sensitive period in the first trimester after pregnancy to achieve the best preventive effect. 2, scientific supplementation of folic acid The best time for folic acid supplementation: the threshold for pregnancy, three months before pregnancy, three months after pregnancy. Of course, some users have raised questions: in case you eat three months or not pregnant? Folic acid is a vitamin B, usually many foods also contain folic acid, more food will not cause damage to people. The side effects of folic acid are minimal, and excess folic acid will be excreted with urine: the human body is ingesting folic acid every day, and the mother-to-be during pregnancy can take no more than 1 mg per day, more than that will have some effect on the absorption of the maternal trace element zinc (Zn), but it will not be toxic and will not produce other side effects, and excess folic acid in the human body will be excreted with urine. 3. Is it too late to take folic acid after an unplanned pregnancy? Although more and more couples of childbearing age are planning to have children, there are still many unwanted pregnancies. When a baby arrives unexpectedly, the parents-to-be are both happy and surprised. They are happy that they are going to become parents, but they are surprised to hear that they should take folic acid tablets before pregnancy. Folic acid supplementation after pregnancy is still useful If you did not take folic acid before pregnancy, you do not need to worry too much, as folic acid supplementation from the time you find out you are pregnant can still help reduce the risk of abnormal fetal development. Adequate folic acid supplementation can significantly reduce the incidence of neural tube abnormalities, such as anencephaly and congenital spina bifida, during the first 3 months of pregnancy, which is a critical period for the development of the fetal neural tube. It also reduces the risk of cleft lip or cleft palate by 50%, and it reduces the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight newborns. A thorough and scientific understanding of folic acid is necessary to better use it in the preparation for pregnancy. It is also important to have a comprehensive understanding of other nutritional supplements and not to follow the clouds. In order to have a healthy baby, during the preparation period, the couple should pay attention to maintaining healthy living and eating habits, in addition to taking the necessary nutritional supplements.