UCD Centre for Human Reproduction, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
School Biological Sciences, Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street, Dublin, Ireland.
J Public Health (Oxf). 2018 Dec 1;40(4):827-834. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdx137.
We examined the relationship between timing and duration of folic acid (FA) supplementation in achieving red blood cell (RBC) folate levels in early pregnancy which are optimal (>906 nmol/l) for the prevention of neural tube defects (NTDs).
Clinical, FA supplementation and dietary folate details were computerized at the first antenatal visit. Maternal blood samples were analysed for RBC and serum folate.
Of the 502 women, 98.2% (n = 493) reported taking FA. There was a positive correlation between duration of supplementation and both RBC folate (r = 0.43, P < 0.001) and serum folate (rho = 0.29, P < 0.001). The optimal RBC folate level was achieved in 80.4% (n = 46) of women who started FA 400 μg 4-8 weeks before their LMP compared with only 53.6% (n = 153) in women who started 4-8 weeks after their LMP (P < 0.001).
This study provides, for the first time, information on both the timing and duration of FA that will achieve the optimum RBC folate levels associated with the prevention of NTDs. Women who are taking FA (400 μg) need to start before they conceive.
我们研究了在妊娠早期补充叶酸（FA）的时间和持续时间与实现红细胞（RBC）叶酸水平的关系，这些水平对于预防神经管缺陷（NTD）是最佳的（>906nmol/l）。
在第一次产前检查时，对临床、FA 补充和饮食叶酸的详细信息进行了计算机化处理。对母亲的血液样本进行 RBC 和血清叶酸分析。
在 502 名女性中，98.2%（n=493）报告服用了 FA。补充持续时间与 RBC 叶酸（r=0.43，P<0.001）和血清叶酸（rho=0.29，P<0.001）之间存在正相关。与在末次月经后 4-8 周开始服用 FA 的女性（n=153）相比，在末次月经前 4-8 周开始服用 FA 的女性（n=46）达到最佳 RBC 叶酸水平的比例为 80.4%（P<0.001）。
这项研究首次提供了关于 FA 的时间和持续时间的信息，这些信息将达到与预防 NTD 相关的最佳 RBC 叶酸水平。服用 FA（400μg）的女性需要在怀孕前开始服用。
