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When a woman wants to get pregnant, the first thing to do is to put the contraceptives aside, right? But did you know that the first thing that must be done is to start consuming folic acid?
Benefits of Folic Acid
Folic acid should be used before pregnancy and, especially, during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in order to prevent malformations in the baby . In addition, folic acid also reduces the chances of miscarriages. Most of the losses are due to malformation that makes the fetus unfeasible to evolve and, then, nature takes care of interrupting the pregnancy.
Amount of Consumption
The ideal amount of folic acid in pregnancy to be ingested is 0.4 to 0.8 mg per day , and any woman can start using it without contraindication, as folic acid is a vitamin that is present in various foods, such as broccoli and dark green legumes.
Some factories of wheat flour have inserted in their composition an imperceptible amount of folic acid, but that makes a difference in the daily diet. Other foods that contain large amounts of folic acid:
- Potatoes made with the peel
- Asparagus
- Fish (salmon mainly)
- Eggs
- Grains (beans, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts)
Is Folic Acid Fattening?
Folic acid is not fattening and it is unlikely that anyone will develop allergies with its composition. It is recommended that men and women start treatment even before pregnancy happens to strengthen the gametes and have the healthiest pregnancy possible. For tempting and pregnant couples, another option is the intake of B vitamins. The intake of multivitamins that contain these nutrients is, therefore, essential for tentants. With that in mind, Famivita developed FamiFerti, which is composed of the maximum dose of folic acid, as well as other important vitamins to increase the chances of pregnancy, such as those of the B complex. FamiFerti contributes to the ideal metabolic balance for conception and maintaining pregnancy, and you can get your vitamin here in our online store.
Problems that Using Folic Acid in Pregnancy Prevents
Some problems are solved with the intake of the right amount of folic acid and the ideal is to use it until the first trimester of pregnancy, which is when the organs are forming. After this period, only the folic acid present in the maternal vitamin is sufficient. In addition to spontaneous abortion, folic acid in pregnancy helps prevent:
Deficiency in the development of the neural tube (spina bifida)
The neural tube is the first structure to form in the fetus. Usually around 30 days old, the embryo finishes this formation and begins to close. The neural tube is located at the end of the baby’s spine when already formed, and when the correct closure does not happen, the problem is characterized as spina bifida.
Cranial Malformation
In addition to the spine, the skullcap may also present malformation, such as anencephaly (lack of brain formation) and encephalocele. The skullcap has a defect just above the baby’s eyes and can affect the spinal cord, causing the lower limbs to atrophy.
Hydrocephalus
This is another disease that folic acid in pregnancy helps to prevent. It is a disease that builds up fluid in the skull and causes it to grow with the pressure of existing fluids.
Cleft lip
The cleft lip is a fissure due to the poor closing of the parts of the head even in the early stage of pregnancy. The grooves that we have between the mouth and nose are the result of this encounter and natural scars. People with cleft lip do not have this complete closure that can cause superficial and also more severe fissures such as the palate of the roof of the mouth.
Heart diseases
Folic acid during pregnancy also prevents malformations of the heart and heart disease in the baby, such as arrhythmia, murmur and other diseases. In addition, folic acid also provides a lower risk of pre-eclampsia in women with DHEG , pre-hypertension or diabetes. Babies from a folic acid-supported pregnancy have been scientifically proven to be smarter, speak better and walk earlier than babies who did not have this nutritional support prior to conception.
Women who have a history of fetuses with malformation or recurrent miscarriages should use folic acid throughout pregnancy and in higher amounts, up to 5mg per day. The ideal is to eat foods like oranges and acidic fruits as soon as you take folic acid, as they help in the absorption of the vitamin in the body.
Vitamin B9 also helps the absorption of folic acid and, therefore, taking in vitamin complexes is ideal! The Famivita company, thinking about the nutritional needs and also difficulties of women during the gestational phase, developed a complete gestational multivitamin called FamiGesta . FamiGesta contains in its composition folic acid, among other vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy. You can purchase it here in our online store.
Treatment based on synthetic hormones can interfere with absorption, so if you are still taking contraceptives, there is no point in supplementing folic acid. It would be pertinent to abandon the card first before starting.
Don’t forget that both men and women should use folic acid to help conceive healthy babies and prevent the risk of miscarriage. The lack of folic acid increases the risk of malformation of the baby’s neural tube that occurs in the first weeks of development.
See also: Trying to get pregnant? Things Every Temptant Should Know
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
