A pregnant patient arrives for her first prenatal visit at the clinic. She informs the nurse that she has been taking an additional 400 mcg of folic acid prior to becoming pregnant. Based on the patient's history, she has reached 8 weeks' gestation. Which recommendation would the nurse provide regarding folic acid supplementation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Prenatal vitamins include adequate folic acid supplementation, so patients should not take additional supplementation as long as they continue their prenatal vitamins. During pregnancy, the recommendation is to increase the folic acid intake to 600 mcg. 1000 mcg of folic acid would be an excessive dose. The AFP test should be done at 15 to 18 weeks' gestation. This is not clinically indicated because the patient is at 8 weeks' gestation.

A Pregnant Patient Arrives for Her First Prenatal Visit at the Clinic