Folate status in healty women, pregnancy and women taking oral contraceptives in Health Promotion Center region 4 Ratchaburi

Abstract

Folate, a B vitamin is necessary for metabolic function in human body. This study determined folate content in serum and red blood cell of healthy women, non-pregnancy taking oral contraceptives, pregnancy who have never taken oral contraceptives before pregnant and pregnancy using oral contraceptives before pregnant in HEALTH PROMOTION CENTER REGION 4 by microbiological method using Lactobacillus casei, ATCC. No.7469. The folate levels in serum and red blood cell of 38 healthy women were 12.29 ± 5.91 and 123.22 ± 46.04 ng/ml., respectively. In 34 women taking oral contraceptives were 8.88 ± 4.73 and 79.53 ± 30.46 ng/ml., respectively. In 35 pregnancy who have never taken oral contraceptives before pregnancy were 8.91 ± 5.17 and 98.44 ± 38.60 ng/ml., respectively and in 31 pregnancy who had taken oral contraceptives before pregnancy were 8.50 ± 4.82 and 76.03 ± 20.29 mg/ml., respectively. This study showed the folate levels in serum and red blood cell of pregnancy and non-pregnancy taking oral contraceptives were significant lower than those in healthy women, (P<0.05). This groups should be supplemented with folic acid.