During the preconception and pregnancy period, supplementing folic acid has become common knowledge for expectant mothers. It is crucial for women planning pregnancy, with its main function being to prevent neural tube defects in fetuses. Although some expectant mothers have reported difficulty conceiving while taking folic acid, succeeding in pregnancy once discontinued, this scenario is rare, with no direct evidence indicating folic acid affects the likelihood of conception. In reality, there is no definitive connection between folic acid intake and fertility.
Folic acid itself is a water-soluble vitamin widely present in food, particularly abundant in yeast, liver, and leafy green vegetables. However, natural folic acid is prone to oxidation deactivation due to factors like light exposure and heat, prompting pregnant women to usually rely on additional folic acid supplementation to meet their body’s demands, approximately four times the amount required by an average adult. Fortunately, folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that even if the intake slightly exceeds the recommended daily amount, it will not lead to toxicity, and the excess will be excreted through urine.
The demand for folic acid significantly increases during pregnancy, especially in early pregnancy (1-3 months), a critical period for fetal organ formation and rapid cell division. Folic acid deficiency can result in fetal malformations and neural tube development issues, raising the risk of defects like anencephaly, spina bifida, and even early miscarriage. As pregnancy progresses into mid and late stages, with the rapid growth of the placenta, breasts, and the fetus itself, the need for folic acid further escalates. Inadequate folic acid intake could lead to issues in pregnant women such as placental abruption, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and megaloblastic anemia; while the fetus faces risks of intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, and low birth weight, these adverse effects could extend into the infant’s postnatal growth, brain development, and beyond. Hence, pregnant women adhering to folic acid supplementation can effectively prevent conditions like low birth weight, preterm birth, and cleft lip and palate birth defects.
In conclusion, although there is no direct cause-effect relationship between folic acid intake and fertility, to prevent neural tube defects in fetuses, it is recommended that pregnant women continue to supplement the standard daily dosage of 0.4 milligrams of folic acid throughout pregnancy.
