Folate and vitamin B12 status of women of reproductive age living in Hanoi City and Hai Duong Province of Vietnam

摘要

ObjectivesTo assess the folate and vitamin B12 status of a group of Vietnamese women of reproductive age and to estimate the rate of neural tube defects (NTD) based on red blood cell (RBC) folate concentrations.Design and subjectsA representative sample of non-pregnant women (15a€“49 years) living in Hanoi City (n 244) and Hai Duong Province (n 245).MeasuresRBC folate, plasma vitamin B12 and plasma holo-transcobalamin (holoTC), a sensitive indicator of vitamin B12 status.ResultsMean (95 % CI) concentrations of RBC folate, plasma B12 and plasma holoTC were 856 (837, 876) nmol/l, 494 (475, 513) pmol/l and 78 (74, 82) pmol/l, respectively. Only 3 % and 4 % of women had plasma B12 and holoTC concentrations indicative of deficiency. No woman had an RBC folate concentration indicative of deficiency (