Active clinical trials for "Folic Acid Deficiency"

The study consists of two arms: 1) intervention group using eggs as supplementary food given from 2nd trimester of pregnancy to birth, and 2) observational group of pregnant mothers. it aims to assess the effectiveness of improving dietary quality during pregnancy on the epigenetic and stunting related outcomes (growth and development) in infants, who will be followed up until 24 months old

This study will determine how folate supplementation affects both serum and red blood cell folate status in females ages 18 -24 years old. Additionally, this study will determine the effect of folate supplementation on mood, cognition, and sleep patterns. This study will fill a crucial gap in understanding how folate status affects a variety of health behaviors in order to better inform public health practice and prevention.

Background: Micronutrient (MN) deficiencies are severe and widespread in West Africa, particularly among young children and women of reproductive age. Bouillon is a promising food fortification vehicle because the product is centrally processed on large scale, consumed by most households in West African countries (even rural, poor households), and consumed by most members of the household in relatively constant amounts. However, several important research questions remain regarding whether the use of fortified bouillon would be feasible and effective for preventing or reducing micronutrient deficiencies in communities where such deficiencies are common. Specifically, no studies have assessed the impacts of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon on micronutrient status. The West Africa Condiment Micronutrient Innovation Trial (CoMIT) Project aims to address this gap, to inform future discussions around fortification of bouillon cubes and related products. Objective: This study aims to assess the impacts of household use of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cubes (containing iodine in addition to vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc), compared to control bouillon cubes fortified with iodine only, on: Micronutrient status among women 15-49 years of age and children 2-5 years of age after 9 months of intervention Hemoglobin concentrations among women 15-49 years of age and children 2-5 years of age after 9 months of intervention Breast milk micronutrient concentrations among lactating women 4-18 months postpartum after 3 months of intervention Methods: This randomized, controlled doubly-masked trial will be conducted in the Kumbungu and Tolon districts in the Northern Region of Ghana, where prior data indicate that deficiencies in the selected nutrients are common. Potential participants will be: 1) non-pregnant non-lactating women of reproductive age (15 - 49 years old), 2) children 2-5 years of age, and 3) non-pregnant lactating women 4-18 months postpartum. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to receive household rations of one of two types of bouillon cubes: a multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cube containing vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and iodine, or a control cube containing iodine only Each participant's household will receive a specific amount of bouillon cube every 2 weeks, and households will be advised to prepare their meals as usual, using the study-provided cubes. The trial duration will be 9 months (38 weeks) for non-pregnant, non-lactating women and children 2-5 years of age, and 3 months (12 weeks) for lactating women. The primary outcomes will be changes from baseline to endline in concentrations of haemoglobin and biomarkers of micronutrient status. Secondary outcomes will include change in prevalence of anaemia and micronutrient deficiency; dietary intake of bouillon and micronutrients; inflammation, malaria, and morbidity symptoms; and children's anthropometric measures and child development.

Infertility affects around 15 % of couples in their reproductive years. Even though the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in aforementioned couples is increasing, their success rate is still relatively low. Hence it is important to identify and better understand potential modifiable dietary and lifestyle risk factors that may influence the success of ART. This study will include women undergoing IVF with a view to investigating the relationship between preconception dietary patterns, body composition, physical activity level, serum values of vitamin B9, vitamin B12 and vitamin D and the outcomes of IVF, such as the number of obtained oocytes, fertilization rate and clinical pregnancy. Main hypothesis is that women undergoing IVF, who eat a balanced diet, maintain healthy body weight and have adequate serum levels of vitamin B9, vitamin B12 and vitamin D, have a higher chance of achieving better IVF outcomes.

Folic acid and vitamin B12 play an interdependent role in key cellular processes, namely deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis, cell division, red blood cell formation, and nervous system myelination. A deficiency of either vitamin will predispose teenagers to many diseases, which persist across their lifespan. Fortification of food with micronutrients has been promoted to reduce micronutrient deficiencies. A large segment of vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) resides in rural settings and has limited access to large-scale commercialized fortified foods. In such operational constraints, the use of locally (small-scale) fortified cereals could be an alternative intervention. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of small scale folic acid and vitamin B12 fortified cereals in improving folate and vitamin B12 status, growth velocity, puberty status, anaemia, cognitive development and mental health among teenage girls, in rural rift valley of Ethiopia.

Folic acid supplementation has been recommended for prevention of neural tube defects in pregnancy when taken periconceptionally up to 12 weeks of gestation. A daily dose of 0.4mg has been endorsed by World Health Organisation to achieve a Red blood cell (RBC) folate level of 906nmol/L (400ng/mL) for reduction of neural tube defect. Hong Kong has no policy on food fortification. Research data conducted in countries with food fortification may not be applicable. It is therefore essential to study the baseline folate status in pregnant women locally. For pregnant women with thalassaemia, they are believed to have a higher risk of folate deficiency because of an increased rate of erythropoiesis and chronic haemolysis. However, information on folate level of thalassaemia trait in pregnancy is scanty. Unmetabolized folic acid has been detected in maternal and fetal blood when daily dosage greater than 0.8-1mg was taken. In term of the dosage and duration of folic acid supplementation after 12 weeks of gestation, the practice varies widely among public hospitals and Maternity & Child Health Care centres. It is therefore essential to study the optimal dosage of folic acid supplementation in women with thalassaemia.

The overarching objective of this two-phase project is to assess the effects of fortifying iodized salt with folic acid on improving women's folate status and thereby reduce the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs), which are highly prevalent in Ethiopia. The project will be conducted in two phases. The purpose of Phase 1, described herein, is to complete formative research in preparation for a community-based, randomized trial, which will be carried out in Phase 2. The objectives of Phase 1 are to: 1) assess the hematological condition and nutritional status with respect to folate, iodine, and other micronutrients among non-pregnant women of reproductive age (WRA) in the study communities, and 2) measure discretionary salt and dietary folate intakes of the women and their households.

Women of reproductive age are a high-risk population for anemia and micronutrient deficiencies, and there is increasing evidence of the role of periconceptional nutritional status in the risk of birth defects and other pregnancy complications. However, there is limited population-based data from India, where the burden and consequences of these deficiencies is unacceptably high. The objective of this study is to conduct a population-based biomarker survey to determine the burden of anemia and vitamin B12 and folate status in women of reproductive age, as part of a periconceptional surveillance program in Southern India. Findings from this biomarker survey will establish the burden of anemia and B-vitamin deficiencies in women of reproductive age, and inform the development of a randomized efficacy trial of quadruple-fortified salt for the prevention of anemia and birth defects in Southern India.

To obtain up-to-date data on nutritional status of older adults, a national dietary survey will be conducted in 2022/2023, providing data on the consumption of foods and enabling the assessment intakes of energy and specific nutrients. Participating subjects will be also screened for micronutrient status using blood biomarkers (focusing into vitamin D, folic acid, vitamin B12, and iron).

This is a study investigating folate deficiency (lack of folic acid in the blood) in patients who take the drug olaparib to treat their advanced ovarian or breast cancer. The primary goal of this study is to determine the frequency and timing of folate deficiency, and to learn more about whether giving folic acid supplements (vitamins) will help delay or avoid deficiency in these patients. Deficiency can cause doctors to reduce or stop treatment with olaparib. In this case, patients are not getting the best treatment for their cancer due to the unwanted side effect.