Utilization of Folic Acid and Iron Supplementation Services by Pregnant Women Attending an Antenatal Clinic at a Regional Referral Hospital in Kenya.
Summary of "Utilization of Folic Acid and Iron Supplementation Services by Pregnant Women Attending an Antenatal Clinic at a Regional Referral Hospital in Kenya."
To determine utilization of iron and folic acid supplementation services among pregnant women in Kenya. A cross sectional study was conducted at Nyeri Hospital, a regional referral hospital in central Kenya. Women attending the antenatal clinic were selected through systematic sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to collect information on utilization of folic acid and iron supplementation services. Women who ingested folic acid or iron supplements for >4 days in a week were considered "highly compliant". The health worker in-charge of the antenatal clinic was interviewed about the frequency of supplement stock-outs during the past year. Haemoglobin concentration was measured directly from one drop of capillary blood and measured using portable HEMOCUE B-Hb photometer. Of the 381 women interviewed, only 23.6 % obtained antenatal care in the first trimester; 69.3 and 51.2 % received folic acid and iron supplements, respectively. However, only half (45-58 %) received any information about supplementation. Most women were initiated on folic acid (80.7 %) or iron (67.7 %) after 12 and 16 weeks of gestation, respectively, well after the recommended time period. However, more than 80 % of those who received folic acid and iron were highly compliant. Stock-outs were common at the facility. Of 361 women tested for Hb level, the prevalence of anaemia (Hb levels < 11 g/dl) was 7.8 %. Health workers need to better explain the importance of supplements to pregnant women. Women who come late to antenatal clinic miss opportunities to start supplementation early in pregnancy. Problems with supply chain management exacerbate the problem.
Affiliation
Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP), Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, P.O. Box 30016-00100, Nairobi, Kenya, lucyjo12@yahoo.com.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Maternal and child health journal
ISSN: 1573-6628
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22907273
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10995-012-1120-x
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Leucovorin
The active metabolite of FOLIC ACID. Leucovorin is used principally as its calcium salt as an antidote to folic acid antagonists which block the conversion of folic acid to folinic acid.
Pregnant Women
Human females who are pregnant, as cultural, psychological, or sociological entities.
Folate Receptors, Gpi-anchored
Cell surface receptors that bind to and transport FOLIC ACID, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, and a variety of folic acid derivatives. The receptors are essential for normal NEURAL TUBE development and transport folic acid via receptor-mediated endocytosis.
Pteroylpolyglutamic Acids
Derivatives of folic acid (pteroylglutamic acid). In gamma-glutamyl linkage they are found in many tissues. They are converted to folic acid by the action of pteroylpolyglutamate hydrolase or synthesized from folic acid by the action of folate polyglutamate synthetase. Synthetic pteroylpolyglutamic acids, which are in alpha-glutamyl linkage, are active in bacterial growth assays.
Folic Acid Deficiency
A nutritional condition produced by a deficiency of FOLIC ACID in the diet. Many plant and animal tissues contain folic acid, abundant in green leafy vegetables, yeast, liver, and mushrooms but destroyed by long-term cooking. Alcohol interferes with its intermediate metabolism and absorption. Folic acid deficiency may develop in long-term anticonvulsant therapy or with use of oral contraceptives. This deficiency causes anemia, macrocytic anemia, and megaloblastic anemia. It is indistinguishable from vitamin B 12 deficiency in peripheral blood and bone marrow findings, but the neurologic lesions seen in B 12 deficiency do not occur. (Merck Manual, 16th ed)
PubMed Articles
BACKGROUND: The importance of unmetabolized folic acid in maternal and fetal blood is not known. OBJECTIVE: We investigated total folate, tetrahydrofolate (THF), 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), for...
Background: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of folic acid intake for prevention of birth defects in Chinese women of child-bearing age. Material/Methods: In this pro...
Insufficient maternal folate concentrations appear to be a fetal risk factor for neural tube defects (NTD). Erythrocyte folate concentrations are widely accepted as an indicator of tissue folate stora...
Previous short-term supplementation studies showed no additional hematologic benefit of multiple micronutrients (MMN) compared with iron + folic acid (IFA) in adolescent girls. This study examines whe...
SCOPE: Intrauterine and early-life exposure to folic acid has significantly increased in North America owing to folic acid fortification, widespread supplemental use, and periconceptional supplementat...
Clinical Trials
Folic Acid Supplementation in Gambian Primigravidae
Supplementation with folic acid and iron is recommended for pregnant women in order to prevent them from developing anemia. In malaria endemic areas of Africa, the World Health Organizat...
Children, aged 1 months to 23 months, in the intervention households received zinc, iron and folic acid and those in the control households were administered iron and folic acid (IFA) alon...
Iron Supplementation Among Adolescent Girls in India
This study will implement and evaluate a community-based intervention to distribute and promote consumption of weekly iron-folic acid supplements and to provide nutrition education to redu...
Periconceptional Iron Supplementation in Rural Bangladesh
The investigators hypothesize that periconceptional iron supplementation to married, nulliparous women in rural Bangladesh will significantly reduce anemia and improve hemoglobin concentra...
The Effect of Folic Acid on Efficacy of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine in Pregnant Women in Western Kenya
The purpose of this study is to determine whether folic acid, which is often routinely given to pregnant women to prevent birth defects and anemia, affects the efficacy of sulfadoxine-pyri...
