Preconceptional use of folic acid in the region of the Kantonsspital Münsterlingen/Thurgau: has it changed over the past 10 years?

Grosskopf, A U; Brühwiler, H; Eggimann, T; Rautenberg, W; Raio, Luigi (2014). Preconceptional use of folic acid in the region of the Kantonsspital Münsterlingen/Thurgau: has it changed over the past 10 years? Zeitschrift für Geburtshilfe & Neonatologie, 218(4), pp. 149-152. Thieme 10.1055/s-0034-1382067

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BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have shown that the preconceptional use of folic acid prevents neural tube defects. We created a study to find out whether the preconceptional use of folic acid has improved in the past 10 years, in the area of Münsterlingen, Switzerland.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We interviewed 2 groups of patients who delivered at our Institution, namely between 2000 and 2002 (period A) involving 287 women and from 2009 to 2010 (period B) involving 305 pregnant women. We asked them whether they used folic acid by means of a standardised questionnaire.

RESULTS

In period B significantly more women have taken folic acid preconceptionally (period A: 27.5% vs. period B: 40.7%; p=0.001). A significant increase in folic acid intake was seen in the German speaking group from period A to B (30.3% vs. 52.7%; p=0.0005), while this was not the case in the non-German speaking group (21.4% in both periods). More multiparaé women were taking folic acid compared to nulliparae. A significant increase from period A to B was noted only in the German speaking group. Unexpectedly, in nulliparae non-German speaking women, folic acid supplementation decreased from 14% to 6.1%.

DISCUSSION

We have found a significant increase in preconceptional folic acid supplementation from 2001 to 2010. The percentage of women taking folic acid is disappointingly low in all groups, particularly in nulliparae women of non-German ethnicity.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Gynaecology

UniBE Contributor:

Raio, Luigi

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

1439-1651

Publisher:

Thieme

Language:

German

Submitter:

Nathalie Ursula Becher

Date Deposited:

12 May 2015 16:59

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:47

Publisher DOI:

10.1055/s-0034-1382067

PubMed ID:

25127346

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.68912

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/68912

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