Abstract

PIP: A group of studies on indigent hospital patients were conducted on the role of folate supplements, pregnancy and oral contraceptives in megaloblastic anemia. First 25 pregnant women, given 500 mg iron dextran and 30 mg folic acid for 2-3 months, had 12.4% hemoglogin at delivery, compared with 49 women given only iron who had 12.5% hemoglobin, and 49 untreated women who had 11.3% hemoglobin. Second, plasma folate levels in groups of pregnant women were compared: mean folate was 4.7 ng/ml in 82 normal women, 3.1 in 21 treated epileptics, and about 1.2 in 31 women with megaloblastic anemia. In 77 pregnancies in 43 epileptic women there were no reasons to blame low folate levels for pregnancy wastage since no abruptio placentae or bleeding occurred; and incidence of low birth weight, perinatal death, and prematurity was lower than in the general population. Third, the effect of oral contraceptives on folate levels was observed. Mean plasma folate levels were 8.1 ng/ml in 55 control women, 8.0 in 57 women using the pill, 4.7 in normal women in late pregnancy, and about 1.1 in pregnant women with megaloblastic anemia. Fourth, mean hemoglobin levels rose from 7.6 to 13.4 9m/100 ml within a few weeks in 5 women with gestational megaloblastic anemia after treatment with normal diet, without supplement, and oral contraceptives. One woman with puerperal megaloblastic anemia failed to respond to a regular diet while taking Ovulen, 6 tablets daily. The results suggest that plasma folate levels were neither lower in oral contracepting women nor did the pill prevent the increase in folate in megaloblastic anemia patients treated with diet. Thus the authors concluded that folate supplement is not needed for pill users.