Authors:
Maxwell SJ, Brameld KJ, Bower C, D'Antoine H, Hickling S, Marley J, O'Leary P
Authors notes:
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2013;53(1):26-31
Keywords:
folic acid, monitoring, neural tube defects, prevention
Abstract:
In September 2009, Australia implemented mandatory folic acid fortification of wheat flour for bread-making to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects.
Our study aimed to establish baseline folate status data in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Western Australians.
Ten per cent of the Aboriginal women participants and 26% of men had RBC folate concentrations below 250 ng/mL, the cut-off associated with folate deficiency.
None of the non-Aboriginal women and 4% of the non-Aboriginal men had RBC folate concentrations below 250 ng/mL.
All participants were vitamin B12 replete.
None of the 96 Aboriginal and 8% of non-Aboriginal women aged 16-44 reported consumption of supplements with a daily intake of >400 μg folic acid during the previous week.
This study established a baseline of RBC folate, folate consumption and supplement use in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal groups.
We identified 10% of Aboriginal women and none of non-Aboriginal women participants with low folate concentrations.
The higher prevalence of folate deficiency in Aboriginal participants suggests they are more likely to benefit from a universal program of folate fortification.