Folic acid is a vital vitamin. The dosage of folic acid depends on the purpose for which it is taken. When taken with the purpose of treatment daily dose of this vitamin at times more than when a prophylactic measure. Assigns folic acid is always a doctor.

The usual adult daily requirement of folic acid is 200 micrograms, but with increasing need for it, for example during pregnancy or nursing baby Breastfeeding - a personal choice   feeding, she may increase significantly. It is believed that the need for folic acid in pregnant women without symptoms of failure it is 600 - 1000 mg per day, in the period of breastfeeding, this need somewhat less than in pregnant women - 500 - 600 mg per day.

Folic acid when planning pregnancy

Given that folic acid deficiency is particularly dangerous in the early weeks of pregnancy, it is best to start taking during pregnancy planning for two to three months prior to conception and throughout the pregnancy. The dose of folic acid at the same time selected and appointed by the obstetrician-gynecologist of female consultation.

The same dose should be taken and the future pope, and it is especially important to start taking folic acid for two to three months prior to conception. This will help improve the quality of sperm. The fact is that even in healthy male sperm is present in a small number of defective sperm that have reduced fertilizing capacity or has the wrong number of chromosomes. The latter is especially dangerous because it can lead to chromosomal disorders in the child such as Down syndrome.

Folic acid in pregnancy

But a pregnant woman, there is another danger: the increased need for folic acid can lead to the development of its deficit and folievodefitsitnoy or megaloblastic anemia. In pregnant women, this disease is not uncommon. At the same time due to the disturbance of blood (in which folic acid is actively involved) in the blood decreases the number of red blood cells and there is a large number of very large immature forms that contain a lot of hemoglobin. This leads to anemia and insufficient supply of oxygen to all the organs and tissues. It reduces the number of white blood cells, which leads to disruption of the body's defenses and platelets, which could result in bleeding.

With frequent bleeding folievodefitsitnoy to anemia and iron deficiency can join. All this is dangerous for a pregnant woman and the fetus, as it may lead to a breach of the structure of the placenta, miscarriage and premature birth. Suffering and fruit, as his organs and tissues receive less oxygen, and again this is primarily reflected in the brain. When folievodefitsitnoy anemia pregnant women prescribed therapeutic dose of folic acid, which is much more preventive and is 5 mg (5,000 mcg) a day.

Folic acid in various diseases

Folic acid deficiency may increase the symptoms of atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis - a chronic disease of the arteries So small prophylactic doses (usually 200 mg) of vitamin administered in order to prevent its complications such as cerebrovascular accident (stroke), and myocardial infarction Myocardial infarction - the most formidable diagnosis .

Folic acid is prescribed for severe intestinal lesions, a disease is called a sprue and manifests diarrhea, abdominal pain. Because of the small bowel lesions in this disease disrupted the absorption of folic acid and vitamin B12, which may result in developing folievo- and B12-deficiency anemia. In this case, both are assigned to the two treatment doses of vitamin that improve bowel function.

In the combined therapy of folic acid can also be used in various lesions of the liver, such as alcoholic liver cirrhosis. This disturbed conversion of folic acid to its active form (tetrogidrofolat) in the liver. A folic acid, in this case does not help, necessary medications, improves liver function.

In the complex treatment of folic acid is prescribed as with a decrease in white blood cell count (particularly grainy, responsible for immunity) and platelets. This occurs, e.g., when using certain medications (sulfonamides), under the action of ionizing radiation on the body, some chemicals. In this case, folic acid Folic acid - the value is hard to overestimate   administered in therapeutic doses as a stimulant of hematopoiesis.

All dosages of folic acid, especially treatment, prescribed by a doctor.

Galina Romanenko

Vaccinations protect the bulk of the population from the most dangerous infections. Today, most people do not know what diphtheria, tetanus and polio due to the fact that vaccination against these infections is held in our country for over 50 years. After the introduction of vaccination against measles, rubella and epidemic epidparotita disappeared and these infections, although there are flashes of today.

National Immunization Schedule

National Calendar of preventive vaccinations is a normative document, approved annually by the Russian Government, which determines the terms and types of vaccinations carried out for free and on a mass scale in accordance with the program of compulsory health insurance (CHI).

All of the listed categories of persons it free vaccines are those drugs that are defined by normative documents (preference is given to domestic production of vaccines). All other vaccines are given to citizens for a fee. Also for a fee you can purchase a vaccine that is not purchased by the state for the vaccination of the population under the MLA (for example, import the vaccine).

Vaccinations for children

Vaccinations for children are of particular importance, as it is in childhood lays the foundation for health and longevity.

Calendar of preventive vaccinations for children includes the following immunizations:

• first vaccination against hepatitis B - in the first 12-24 hours in the hospital;
• vaccination against tuberculosis (BCG vaccine or BCG-M) - 3-7 days after birth in the hospital;
• second vaccination against hepatitis B - in a month, preventive vaccination is carried out in the children's clinic;
• third vaccination against hepatitis B virus from the group of children squeak (if the mother is a carrier of hepatitis B virus), the first vaccine against pneumococcal infection - 2 months;
• first vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DTP), the first vaccine against poliomyelitis (inactivated vaccines is performed), the first vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae - 3 months;
• second vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis This pest, pest whooping ... , Tetanus (DTP), the second vaccination against poliomyelitis (inactivated vaccines is performed), the second vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae, the second vaccination against pneumococcal infection - 4, 5 months;
• third vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DTP), the third polio vaccination (performed live vaccines), third vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae, a third vaccination against hepatitis B, influenza vaccine (inactivated vaccine) - 6 months;
• Vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella, the fourth vaccination against hepatitis B Viral hepatitis - Army disease   B children at risk (if the mother is a carrier of hepatitis B) - 1 year;
• revaccination against pneumococcal disease - 1 year 3 months;
• The first revaccination against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, the first revaccination against polio, Hib booster - 1 year 6 months;
• second revaccination against polio - 1 year 8 months;
• revaccination against measles, rubella Rubella - it is better to be vaccinated Mumps - 6 years;
• second revaccination against diphtheria and tetanus vaccine (Td) - 6-7 years;
• The first revaccination against tuberculosis (BCG - held not infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis children with negative Mantoux reaction) - 7 years;
• third revaccination against diphtheria, tetanus (Td) booster dose against polio third (live vaccine), the second revaccination against tuberculosis (BCG - held not infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis children with negative Mantoux reaction) - 14 years;
• Vaccination against influenza - is included in the schedule of preventive vaccinations every year since 6 months.

On January 1, 2014 in the National Calendar of preventive vaccinations of the Russian Federation introduced the pneumococcal vaccine.

Vaccinations for adults

Vaccinations certain categories of adults held in the framework of the MLA. The plan for preventive vaccination include:

• revaccination against diphtheria and tetanus - adults after 18 years every 10 years from the last booster;
• Vaccination against hepatitis B - adults from 18 to 55 years, not previously vaccinated, along the same lines as the children of 0-1-6 (1 dose - at the start of vaccination dose 2 - a month after the injection of 1, 3 dose - after 6 months from the start of immunization);
• rubella vaccination - women from 18 to 25 years, without a history of rubella or been vaccinated against it;
• Vaccination against influenza - high school students, students of higher and secondary vocational educational institutions, employees of medical and educational institutions, transportation, public utilities, adults older than 60 years, and others. - annually;
• measles vaccination - adults under the age of 35 years, without a history of measles Measles in children - may cause serious complications   and not previously vaccinated or no information about vaccinations against measles.

The value of preventive vaccination can not be overestimated - thanks to them people have forgotten the terrible epidemic infections.

Galina Romanenko