Prevalence of folic acid deficiency and the reproductive potential of the youth in the Republic of Bashkortostan

Folic acid deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the world. Since folates are involved in the synthesis of nucleic acids and amino acids and are crucial for cell growth and differentiation, the need for vitamin B9 increases during pregnancy due to fetal / placental growth and uterine enlargement. Folic acid deficiency during the gestational period leads to severe adverse consequences for the fetus, including birth defects of the neural tube, heart and urinary tract defects, insufficient birth weight, and high blood pressure. The purpose — to study the prevalence of folic acid deficiency in students of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Material and methods. A comprehensive study of the lifestyle and reproductive potential of adolescents aged 15–19 years was carried out. Blood serum was analyzed for folic acid on the automated modular Roche Cobas 8000 platform with the e801 immunochemical module. Statistical processing was carried out with the Statistica software. Results. Folic acid deficiency in the studied sample of students was detected in 55% of cases in males and in 61% of cases in females. In females all indicators were statistically significantly worse than in males. This dictates the need for regular monitoring of folate levels in the blood.