Abstract
After delivery of the fetus and placenta, women with pregnancy-induced megaloblastic anemia due to folate deficiency responded to the administration of as little as 50μg of folic acid per day while they were receiving a low folate diet. The presence of a fetus and placenta increased the amount of folic acid necessary to induce a comparable hematological response to 0.5 mg/day or somewhat more. One milligram of folic acid uniformly produced a satisfactory hematological response prior to delivery even when pregnancy requirements were augmented further by twin fetuses or chronic hemolysis. Consequently, daily supplementation with 1 mg of folic acid during pregnancy should protect all pregnant women against folate deficiency including those with multiple fetuses, chronic hemolysis, and repetitive megaloblastic anemia.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1163-1167 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association |
| Volume | 208 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 19 1969 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine