Many friends know about it
Folic acid should be taken when trying to conceive
Natural or synthetic folic acid?
Do men need to take folic acid to try to conceive?
Is folic acid the better?
Guangdong Reproductive Editor invites experts
Let's talk to everyone
Why folic acid supplementation?
Folic acid is a vitamin (vitamin B9) that the body cannot synthesize and must obtain from the outside world on a daily basis, and it is widely involved in the functioning of the body's functions, including the development of germ cells. When life is not healthy, the consumption of folic acid in the body increases. This condition does not affect people who are not trying to conceive, but it does because folic acid helps the neural tube of the fetus develop into the brain and spinal cord.
Folic acid deficiency does not necessarily lead to malformations, but it does increase the proportion of fetal malformations due to abnormal neural tube development, such as anencephaly, encephalocele, cleft lip and palate, etc. The popularity of folic acid has indeed drastically reduced the proportion of fetuses with malformations due to abnormal neural tube development. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pointed out that women who insist on taking the recommended dose of folic acid every day one month before conception and the first three months of pregnancy can reduce the risk of neural tube defects in babies by 50%~70%. "Folic acid supplementation can effectively prevent fetal neural tube defects" is a global consensus.
How to supplement folic acid scientifically?
Couples who are trying to conceive in China can get free folic acid tablets at local maternal and child health hospitals or community health centers. The recommended daily dosage for pregnant women is 400 micrograms, or 0.4 mg. If the level of folic acid in the mother-to-be reaches a relatively good state, folic acid supplementation should be carried out at least three months in advance. Folic acid supplementation is still necessary after pregnancy, preferably with a multivitamin.
Too much folic acid is also not good
When folic acid is used in clinical treatment, such as the treatment of nutritional anemia, the dose will be as high as 4000-5000 micrograms, that is, 4-5 mg. However, high-dose folic acid supplementation does not improve germ cells "as you think", but may have adverse effects on fetal development. Therefore, without medical advice, women who are trying to conceive and pregnant should not take high doses of folic acid without authorization.
In this case, the dose of folic acid should be increased appropriately
In cases where a woman who has given birth to a neural tube defect or has a relative with a neural tube defect, a woman who is trying to conceive can have the MTHFR gene tested and the "folate metabolism ability" evaluated. Based on the test results, clinicians conduct a risk assessment and guide individuals to reduce neonatal birth defects through appropriate folic acid supplementation. At present, our hospital has carried out MTHFR genetic testing to solve problems for the majority of friends who are preparing for pregnancy.
Should men take folic acid while trying to conceive?
Men with good living habits and no problems with sperm quality, quantity and folic acid level can meet their daily needs for folic acid without deliberate supplementation as long as they are not picky eaters and not picky eaters, and consume enough fresh vegetables, fruits and meat every day. Studies have shown that if a man's semen quality is normal, there is no additional benefit from eating folic acid, and if a man takes a large dose of folic acid (e.g. 5mg per day) while trying to conceive, it may also cause genetic mutations in sperm.
Men who are trying to conceive can supplement the folic acid needed by their body by adjusting their diet, or they can take folic acid tablets orally under the guidance of a doctor. It is not recommended for men who are trying to conceive to smoke, drink alcohol, or stay up late often to avoid reducing the chance of conception.
Which is better synthetic or natural folic acid?
When it comes to preventing neural tube defects, there is no difference between synthetic and natural folic acid. Fruits, vegetables and liver are rich in natural folic acid, but cooking at high temperatures destroys natural folic acid, and synthetic folic acid is more stable than natural folic acid. It is recommended to choose to eat folic acid with the quasi-number of Chinese medicine, that is, folic acid printed on the medicine box with "xxx of national medicine quasi-word".
This article is a popular science guide
Li Mingzhen, Deputy Chief Physician
Physician introduction: the person in charge of the quality of the forensic physical evidence forensic laboratory of Guangdong Provincial Reproductive Hospital, and a member of the Reproductive Immunity and Eugenics Branch of Guangdong Medical Association. He has been engaged in clinical and scientific research of reproductive genetics for nearly 20 years and has rich clinical experience. Familiar with peripheral chromosome karyotyping, Y chromosome microdeletion, thalassemia gene, folic acid metabolism disorder gene and other cytogenetics laboratory diagnostic techniques. Research on reproductive genes such as azoospermia, oligoasthenospermia, and recurrent miscarriage is conducted. He has undertaken nearly 10 scientific research projects at all levels and published more than 10 academic papers. In 2011, he won 1 second prize of the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan" Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievements of the National Population and Family Planning Commission, and 3 national computer software copyrights.
Specialty: pre-pregnancy and pregnancy eugenics guidance, genetic counseling, hereditary infertility diagnosis and treatment, etc.