Folate status in pregnant Chinese women in Hong Kong.

Hematologic and folate studies were carried out in 116 pregnant Chinese women in Hong Kong. Mean serum folate values fell progressively with pregnancy reaching subnormal levels during the puerperium. Mean red-cell folate values remained normal or high throughout, but showed a significant fall after delivery in women who carried out breast-feeding. Individually, 18 women showed hematologic abnormalities compatible with folate deficiency, but only four had subnormal red-cell folate values satisfying the strict criterion of folate deficiency, giving an overall frequency of 3.4%. Compared to primigravidae and other multiparae, gravida 2 women appeared to be at highest risk of folate deficiency.