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Can Folic Acid Be Taken During 21st Week Of Pregnancy?

Posted on Wed, 19 Apr 2017

Question: is it still ok if i continue to take this folic acid capsule even if im 21weeks pregnant already?

Answered by Dr. Ramadevi Wani (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
You need 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to healthcare magic.
I am Dr Ramadevi Wani. I will be answering your concerns today.

It is good to continue taking folic acid through out pregnancy as dietary sources alone are usually not sufficient to meet the increased requirements of pregnancy. It's deficiency now can cause anaemia. You need not take 5 mg per day. 400micrograms tablets are enough. If you are taking iron, a tablet containing both iron and folic acid can be taken.

Don't worry if you have taken 5 mg tablet. It is water soluble vitamin. The excess amount gets washed away in urine.
The confirmed way to find out whether you have enough folic acid in the body is by doing serum folic acid level.

I hope this is helpful.
If you have further concerns, I will be happy to answer.
Best wishes,
Dr Rama

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D