Folic acid for children: instructions for use

Folic acid belongs to the B vitamins (it is vitamin B9) and is very often prescribed to expectant mothers: both for women who are just planning a pregnancy and for those who are already carrying a baby. This is due to the ability of such a vitamin compound to protect the embryo from harmful effects, as well as to positively affect the maturation and function of the placenta.

However, in some cases, folic acid is also prescribed for children. It is found in many multivitamin supplements, but it is also available separately in a formulation also called Folic Acid. Before giving this drug to a child, you need to find out how it acts on the child's body and in what cases it is used in children.

Release form and composition

All drugs, the main ingredient of which is folic acid, are available only in solid form. They are often round, yellow tablets. Some manufacturers have them covered with a film sheath. Sometimes there is a risk on one of the surfaces of the tablet. Folic acid is on sale both in blisters and in jars. The number of tablets in one package is most often 50 pieces, but it can be smaller (10, 20, 25, 30 and 40 tablets) and larger (75 or 100 tablets).

Folic acid dosage in one tablet can be:

400 mcg;
1 mg;
5 mg.

The smallest dose of the vitamin is contained in the preparation from Valenta Pharmaceuticals, which is called folic acid for 9 months. Auxiliary ingredients vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and may include lactose, copovidone, stearic acid, sucrose, potato starch, MCC, and others.

Operating principle

The benefit of vitamin B9 is its participation in metabolism and the formation of blood cells. Folic acid is very important for various processes in the human body and for the normal function of various organs. Once in the human body, such a vitamin becomes tetrahydrofolic acid, which participates in metabolic reactions in the form of a coenzyme.

It is needed for hematopoiesis, since it ensures the normal maturation of red blood cells and activates erythropoiesis. Without enough folate, normoblast formation is disrupted, causing larger cells called macrocytes to appear in the blood.

In addition, such a coenzyme takes part in the synthesis of nucleic acids (which is important for the formation of RNA and DNA) and some amino acids. Folic acid is equally important for choline metabolism and for iron absorption.

The active substance of the tablets is absorbed in the intestine in almost a full dose and after 30-60 minutes is found in the bloodstream in maximum concentration. Metabolic changes in folic acid occur in the intestines and liver, and excretion occurs in the urine.

Indications

"Folic acid" is prescribed when a deficiency of vitamin B9 in the body is detected or to prevent its shortage, which can be caused by:

increased need for vitamins: when carrying a child, during active growth, with anemia, skin diseases, and so on;
insufficient amount of folic acid in food, for example, with an unbalanced diet;
impaired absorption of the vitamin in the intestines: with celiac disease, dysbiosis, enteritis, malabsorption syndrome, sprue and other diseases.

Symptoms that occur with folic acid deficiency include pale skin color, weakness, growth retardation, restless sleep, emotional instability, poor appetite, stomatitis, fatigue, and other ailments.

Vitamin deficiency grows gradually and, if not eliminated in time, can provoke serious disorders.

Folic acid requirements in a child depend on age:

up to a year, the baby should receive it daily in an amount of 25 mcg;
a one-year-old toddler and a 2-year-old child need 50 μg of such a vitamin per day;
children 3-6 years old need 75 mcg of folic acid daily;
a school-age child (7–10 years old) should receive this vitamin in a daily dosage of 100 mcg;
in adolescence, needs rise to 200 mcg per day.

As you can see, these dosages are much lower than the vitamin content in tablets, therefore, children with a preventive purpose are prescribed this medication less often. Most often, in childhood, the drug is used for folate deficiency anemia, as well as in the complex treatment of other types of anemia. But in adults (in particular, women who are carrying a child or breastfeeding), "Folic acid" is in demand primarily for prevention.

Studies have confirmed that taking pills during pregnancy and during breastfeeding helps:

avoid miscarriage;
reduce the risk of pathologies of the nervous system in the baby;
prevent placental exfoliation;
reduce the likelihood of developing gestosis;
prevent anemia in a premature baby.

Newborns get enough folate from their mother's milk. If the baby receives formula milk, was born prematurely, or has some kind of bowel disease, then the doctor should suggest how to prevent the development of hypovitaminosis by correcting nutrition or vitamin supplements.

At what age is it allowed?

Since "Folic acid" is presented only in tablet form, it is prescribed for children over 3 years old, because such patients usually swallow the tablet without difficulty.

Contraindications

In addition to age restrictions, the use of "Folic acid" has several other contraindications. First of all, it is hypersensitivity to vitamin B9 or any of the additional substances in the composition of the tablets. Since most drugs contain lactose or sucrose, the medication is not prescribed for hereditary diseases in which the metabolism of carbohydrates is impaired.

Give "Folic acid" to patients with malignant tumors with caution. And it is also not recommended to take this vitamin without the supervision of a doctor with a lack of cobalamin and the development of B12-deficiency anemia. In such a situation, folic acid can improve blood counts but hide neurological problems.

For this reason, if erythropenia, neutropenia, low hemoglobin or changes in other indicators of a general blood test are detected, additional examinations are required first and only after that take "Folic acid" if the tests confirm that it is really necessary.

Side effects

Some children react to medication with itching, erythema, nausea, bloating, or a skin rash. In such a situation, the medication should be stopped. If you take the pills for too long, it can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency.

How and when to give the drug?

According to the instructions for use, the tablets are taken after meals and washed down with clean water. The dosage is assigned individually, because it depends on the reason for using "Folic acid", and on the age of the child. Sometimes treatment is started with higher dosages, and then adjusted according to the response of the child's body. The duration of admission should be determined by the doctor, taking into account the diagnosis and positive dynamics, but pills are usually not taken longer than 30 days in a row.

If the dose that was prescribed to a small patient is less than 500 mcg (halves of a tablet), then it will be difficult to divide the drug into the desired pieces. In such a situation, a solution is prepared from the drug using uncoated tablets. For its preparation, take non-hot boiled water in a volume of 25 ml and 1/4 of a tablet, which corresponds to 250 μg of folic acid.

In 1 ml of the resulting solution there will be 10 μg of the vitamin compound, which allows you to give the baby the required amount of medicine. Having given the medication to the child, the remaining solution must be poured out, and the next day a new one should be prepared from another tablet.

Overdose

Vitamin B9, like other B vitamins, is considered water-soluble. This means that it does not accumulate in the body if it is supplied in a slight excess, but simply excreted in the urine. However, with a very significant excess of the dose, negative symptoms from the central nervous system and the digestive tract may appear (nausea, flatulence, poor sleep, nervous excitement, and others).

Interaction with other drugs

The absorption of "Folic acid" worsens when combined with certain antibiotics: tetracycline, neomycin, chloramphenicol and others. Treatment with anticonvulsant drugs increases the need for vitamin B9, and antacids and cholestyramine decrease the absorption of the drug in the intestine. The effect of taking "Folic acid" will be lower if "Methotrexate", "Trimethoprim" and similar medications are prescribed at the same time.

Terms of sale

The tablets are sold without a prescription and are available in all pharmacies, and their price depends on the packaging and manufacturer. On average, 50 tablets of 1 mg can be purchased for 30 rubles.

Storage conditions

It is advised to keep the medication at home at temperatures up to +25 degrees. A dry place hidden from children is best for storage. Folic acid has a shelf life of 3 years.

Reviews

Almost all reviews about "Folic acid" are positive and confirm the beneficial effect of this vitamin on the body. The advantages of the drug include its availability and low cost, as well as the small size of the tablets (they are easy to swallow). Adverse reactions, according to parents, appear very rarely, but they are indicated in single negative reviews of the drug.

Analogs

In the pharmacy, you can find tablets called "Folacin", the main ingredient of which is folic acid in a dosage of 5 mg per tablet. The drug is produced in packs of 10-30 pieces and is prescribed with the same indications as "Folic acid".

In case of anemia, instead of "Folic acid" in tablets, complex medications can be prescribed, in which vitamin B9 is supplemented with various forms of iron. These include drugs "Biofer", "Aktiferrin compositum" and "Maltofer Fol". You can give such medications to a child only as prescribed by a doctor.

To prevent the appearance of a deficiency of folic acid, complex supplements can be used, including, in addition to this compound, other vitamins, as well as minerals. Among children's multivitamins are in demand "Multi-tabs", "Pikovit", "Vitamishki", "Alphabet", "Kinder Biovital", "Vitrum Junior" and "Jungle".

In addition, it is important to ensure that your child gets enough folate from food. Green vegetables, yolks, cheeses, nuts, cereals, offal, fish, avocados, tomatoes, beets and other products are rich in this vitamin.