Periconceptional folic acid supplementation among pregnant women with epilepsy in a developing country: A retroprospective survey in China

Abstract

ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to investigate the implementation of guidelines on periconceptional folic acid supplementation among pregnant women with epilepsy (WWE) in China and to identify its potential correlations with selected sociodemographic and clinical factors. MethodsA detailed investigation was conducted in China using a structured questionnaire from December 2013 to May 2014. Data on the awareness and use of folic acid supplementation, as well as sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, were collected from 153 pregnant WWE. Descriptive analysis, followed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, was applied to the data from this survey. ResultsAmong the enrolled subjects, 67.3% became pregnant after the promulgation of the relevant guidelines. Only 26.2% of them knew the exact effects of folic acid, and 73.8% had taken folic acid at some point during periconception. In addition, the folic acid intake of most of these women (67.1%) did not exceed that of the average pregnant woman. The prevalence of folic acid supplementation for pregnant WWE three months before pregnancy was only 15.5%. There has been almost no improvement in the level of additional awareness and use of folic acid supplementation for WWE since the relevant guidelines were established in China. Pregnant WWE with higher education levels, those with a planned pregnancy, or those who live in urban areas were more likely to know about and implement folic acid supplementation during periconception. Moreover, pregnant WWE with a planned pregnancy or those living in cities seemed to have a higher folic acid intake and started folic acid supplementation earlier before conception. ConclusionThe extent of awareness and use of folic acid supplementation in pregnant WWE remains low in China. More efforts are needed to promote periconceptional folic acid supplementation for WWE, especially those with low education levels and those who live in rural areas. Planned pregnancy should be encouraged for WWE.