American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 27, 339-344, Copyright © 1974 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Prevention of folate deficiency in pregnancy by food fortification

¹ From the Department of Haematology, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand and The South African Institute for Medical Research, Johannesburg, and the Obstetrics Unit, Charles Johnson Memorial Hospital, Nqutu, KwaZulu, South Africa

Many pregnant women in developing countries do not attend antenatal clinics to receive folate supplements. This motivated a controlled trial, which tested the efficacy of fortification of a staple food as a means of administering these supplements. Two hundred and sixty-eight blood specimens were taken from 38 women during the final month of pregnancy and were assayed for serum and red cell folate. Fortified maize meal porridge was given to 20 of these women in daily helpings, each of which contained 1,000 µg crystalline folic acid before cooking. Patients receiving the porridge showed significant rises in both indices of folate nutrition. In unsupplemented patients, red cell folate concentration showed a mean weekly fall of 7 ng/ml. When viewed in the light of recommendations made by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Nutrition, the findings of this study suggest that food fortification with folic acid is feasible, and should be instituted in areas where there is a high incidence of folate deficiency.