Taking folic acid to prevent fetal malformations should begin at the stage of preparation for pregnancy, at least three months before the expected conception. This is why pregnancy must be planned. If conception occurs unexpectedly, then you should start taking the drug as soon as it becomes known.
Reasons for taking folate during pregnancy planning:
• With an unbalanced diet, a woman may have a reduced level of folic acid, so it takes time to replenish its reserves. This usually takes three to four months.
• The neural tube of the embryo is formed at such an early stage that the woman may not yet be aware that pregnancy has occurred, especially with a long menstrual cycle.
• Folate deficiency can make it difficult to get pregnant.
Doctors give the following recommendations for taking folic acid: in most cases, three months before conception and throughout pregnancy, you need to take 400 mcg of folic acid per day. In some cases, it is recommended to increase the dosage: up to 1 mg per day for epilepsy and diabetes; up to 4 mg per day if there have been children with neural tube defects in the past. Increased doses of folate can only be prescribed by a doctor after a thorough examination. The dose of folic acid during pregnancy remains the same.