Assessment of Folic Acid Supplementation in Pregnant Women by Estimation of Serum Levels of Tetrahydrofolic Acid, Dihydrofolate Reductase, and Homocysteine

Background.Status of folic acid use in pregnant women of the hilly regions in North India was little known. This study was carried out to assess the folic acid use and estimate folate metabolites in pregnant women of this region.Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study is comprised of 76 pregnant women, whose folic acid supplementation was assessed by a questionnaire and serum levels of homocysteine, tetrahydrofolic acid (THFA), and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) were estimated using Enzyme Linked Immunoassays.Results.The study data revealed awareness of folic acid use during pregnancy was present in 46.1% and 23.7% were taking folic acid supplements. The study depicted that there was no statistically significant difference between serum levels of THFA and DHFR in pregnant women with and without folic acid supplements (p=0.790). Hyperhomocysteinemia was present in 15.78% of the participants.Conclusion.Less awareness about folic acid supplementation and low use of folic acid by pregnant women were observed in this region. Sufficient dietary ingestion may suffice for the escalated requirements in pregnancy, but since this cannot be ensured, hence folic acid supplementation should be made as an integral part of education and reproductive health programs for its better metabolic use, growth, and development of fetus.

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Awareness, use and information sources of folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defects in pregnant Japanese women

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980017003172 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 732-739 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Shumi Yamamoto ◽

Yoshinao Wada

Keyword(s):

Folic Acid ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Folic Acid Supplementation ◽

Japanese Women ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Current Status ◽

Public Health Approach ◽

Childbearing Age ◽

Acid Supplementation ◽

Folic Acid Supplements

AbstractObjectiveFolic acid supplementation and folate-rich diets are recommended for women of childbearing age worldwide to prevent congenital anomalies. We aimed to determine the current status of folic acid supplementation among pregnant Japanese women and identify means to increase the intake of these supplements.DesignCross-sectional study.SubjectsA total of 1862 pregnant women who consulted the perinatal centre from September 2014 to December 2015 completed a questionnaire concerning knowledge about folic acid, sources of information and the use of folic acid supplements.SettingOsaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health (Japan).ResultsIn our study population, only 20·5 % of pregnant women took folic acid supplements periconceptionally even though 70·4 % knew about the protective effect of folic acid. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that age ≥35 years (OR=2·80; 95 % CI 1·24, 6·29) and knowledge of the benefits of folic acid (OR=2·64; 95 % CI 1·92, 3·62) were associated with periconceptional folic acid use, and multiparity was negatively associated with such use. Compared with those who took folic acid supplements periconceptionally, women who did not take supplements received information through passive and less interactive media.ConclusionsAlthough folic acid awareness was relatively high among pregnant Japanese women, folic acid supplementation before conception was insufficient. To increase the intake of folic acid supplements in countries in which foods are not fortified with folic acid, an effective public health approach promoting behavioural change is necessary for women of reproductive age.

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Nutrition counselling and knowledge on iron and folic acid supplementation among pregnant women in Nyeri County, Kenya

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20211209 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 1620

Author(s):

Henry Mburu Ng'the ◽

Douglas Nderitu ◽

Stephanie Wanja

Keyword(s):

Folic Acid ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Quantitative Data ◽

Folic Acid Supplementation ◽

Acid Supplementation ◽

Focused Antenatal Care ◽

Folic Acid Supplements ◽

Iron And Folic Acid ◽

Low Levels ◽

The Government

Background: In the world, a deficiency of iron is the most common nutrition disorder affecting more than 30% of the global populace more so children and women. Countries in the developing world are working in programs on implementing the iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS) although the effectiveness of curbing anemia is usually affected by non-compliance to iron and folic acid supplements by women who are pregnant. The government of Kenya has come up with strategies to deal with anemia which include supplementation of iron and folic acid, implementation of focused antenatal care even though they have encountered a few hurdles resulting to sub optimal coverage and low levels of compliance.Methods: This was a mixed method study whereby both qualitative and quantitative data was analysed. A sample size of 385 pregnant women were interviewed. Data was collected using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data which was presented in form of frequency and percentage tables, bar graphs and pie charts. Results: Results show that 96% of the expectant women indicated that they were advised to take fruits while 86% indicated that they were advised to take green vegetables. This shows that pregnant women in the study had good knowledge of their dietary needs.Conclusions: The study concludes that expectant women had high nutrition knowledge on foods that raise the haemoglobin levels during gravidity.

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Factors associated with iron and folic acid supplementation among pregnant women aged 15-45 years attending Naroosura health centre, Narok County, Kenya

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20213760 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 4672

Author(s):

Asenath S. Kotonto ◽

Albert B. Wakoli

Keyword(s):

Folic Acid ◽

Data Collection ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Birth Defects ◽

Health Centre ◽

Folic Acid Supplementation ◽

Design Data ◽

Acid Supplementation ◽

Folic Acid Supplements ◽

Iron And Folic Acid

Background: Iron and folic acid are very important nutrients to mothers during pregnancy. Their deficiencies are risk factors for anaemia, preterm delivery and low birth weight. This study aimed to investigate the supplementation of iron and folic acid and the associated factors among pregnant women attending Naroosura health centre, Narok County, Kenya.Methods: This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design. Data collection took a period of one month where a total of 123 mothers participated. A self-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Chi-square test was conducted to find associations at a significance level of 0.05.Results: Of the study participants, nearly a third (31.7%) took iron and folic acid supplements daily, over a half (57.7%) indicated that taking iron and folic acid supplements was important to them, about a quarter (24.4%) reported that use of iron and folic acid supplements reduces birth defects and about a third (32%) consumed foods rich in iron and folic acid. Supplementation of iron and folic acid was significantly associated with residence (ꭓ2=4.311, df=1, p=0.038), monthly household income (ꭓ2=10.870, df=4, p=0.028), reduced birth defects (χ2=6.131, df=1, p=0.013) and consumption of iron and folic acid rich foods (χ2=4.163, df=1, p=0.041).Conclusions: The intake as well as supplementation of iron and folic acid is still low. Therefore, both the intake and supplementation of iron and folic acid need to be scaled up.

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Is there a reduction of congenital abnormalities in the offspring of diabetic pregnant women after folic acid supplementation? A population-based case-control study

Congenital Anomalies ◽

10.1111/j.1741-4520.2010.00302.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 80-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Ferenc Bánhidy ◽

Abdallah Dakhlaoui ◽

Erzsébet H. Puhó ◽

Andrew A. E. Czeizel

Keyword(s):

Folic Acid ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Congenital Abnormalities ◽

Population Based ◽

Folic Acid Supplementation ◽

Case Control ◽

Acid Supplementation ◽

Control Study

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Prenatal Folic Acid Supplements and Offspring’s Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analysis and Meta-regression

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s10803-021-04951-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xian Liu ◽

Mingyang Zou ◽

Caihong Sun ◽

Lijie Wu ◽

Wen-Xiong Chen

Keyword(s):

Folic Acid ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Folic Acid Supplementation ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Acid Supplementation ◽

Daily Amount ◽

Folic Acid Supplements ◽

Meta Regression ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Reduced Risk

AbstractWe systematically reviewed the evidence on the association between maternal folic acid supplementation and the risk of offspring’s autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A total of 10 studies with 23 sub-studies (9795 ASD cases) were included. Folic acid supplementation during early pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of offspring’s ASD [OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.41–0.78]. The consumption of a daily amount of at least 400 μg folic acid from dietary sources and supplements, was associated with a reduced risk of offspring ASD [OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.36–0.83]. Critical effective maternal folic acid supplementation strategies, such as intake timing and intake dosage, may aid the reduction in the risk of offspring ASD. This meta-analysis provided new insights for the prevention of offspring’s ASD.

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CURRENT APPROACHES: FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

Food and Health ◽

10.3153/fh19014 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 128-138

Author(s):

Taygun Dayı ◽

Gülden Pekcan

Keyword(s):

Folic Acid ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Folic Acid Supplementation ◽

Acid Supplementation

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Compliance with Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS) and associated factors among pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0249789 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. e0249789

Author(s):

Meseret Belete Fite ◽

Kedir Teji Roba ◽

Lemessa Oljira ◽

Abera Kenay Tura ◽

Tesfaye Assebe Yadeta

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Folic Acid ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Folic Acid Supplementation ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Acid Supplementation ◽

Iron And Folic Acid ◽

Sub Saharan

Background Anemia is one of the world’s leading cause of disability and the most serious global public health issues. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted very carefully in order to give up the pooled compliance of Iron and Folic-Acid Supplementation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods To conduct this brief systematic review and meta-analysis, a related literature search was done from different sources, PubMed Medline and Google Scholar Journals. Then IFA Supplementation related searching engine was used to make the work more meaningful and intensive. Moreover, we used modified Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale for cross sectional studies to assess the quality of the study in terms of their inclusion. Then, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed to carry out the work in a carful manner. Finally, the pooled effect size was computed using the review manager and Compressive Meta-analysis software. Results Twenty-three studies, which encompassed 24272 pregnant women, were chosen for the analysis. From those an overall prevalence of compliance with Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS) in pregnancy in SSA was 39.2%. However, the result from meta-analysis showed that women who were counseled on IFAS in their courses of pregnancy were 1.96 times more likely to adhere to IFAS compared to those who were not counseled [OR:1.96, 95% CI (1.76-,5.93)]. Moreover, it showed that women who had knowledge of IFAS were 2.71 times more likely to have compliance with IFAS as compared to those who had no knowledge of IFAS [OR:2.71, 95% CI (1.33,5.54)]. Also it revealed that those women who had knowledge of anemia were 5.42 times more likely to have compliance with IFAS as compared with those who had no knowledge of anemia [OR5.42, 95% CI (1.52, 19.43)]. Furthermore, women who had received fourth visit for ANC were 1.54 times more likely to have compliance with IFAS as compared to those who had not received for ANC [OR 1.54, 95% CI (0.66, 3.58.43)]. Conclusions Our finding from this systematic review and meta-analysis shows the low case in prevalence of compliance to IFAS among pregnant women in SSA. Predictors for this includes: knowledge about anemia, knowledge about IFAS, counseling on IFAS and receiving fourth antenatal care visit were statistically correlated positively with compliance to IFAS. This demands careful appraisal of effect of prevention work for functioning policy, programs and plan nutrition intrusions for refining maternal dietary intake in gestation. Also dietary education intrusion requires to be planned to satisfy the needs of pregnant women. So we hope that the result of this study might be essential as a bridging stone for policy makers of Africa; exclusively for maternal and child health care. Finally, we recommended further studies to be conducted in the area of the study for more intensive and detailed suggestions.

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