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Status of folate in healthy children in Almeria

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to establish reference values for folic acid in a healthy population of children aged 4–11 years and to examine related epidemiological, dietary and analytical factors. A cross-sectional study of 658 healthy children aged 4–11 years was made. Epidemiological, socioeconomic and dietary variables were analysed, the BMI Z-score was obtained, levels of serum folate and serum vitamin B12 were determined and haematological, iron status and erythropoietic activity parameters were examined. The study data were analysed by non-parametric tests and linear multiple regression. The mean folate value was 8.6 ± 4.6 ng/mL (95% reference interval: 2.8–20 ng/mL). A level < 3 ng/mL (5th percentile) was considered as folate deficiency (4.6% of subjects). No child reported symptoms related to this deficiency. Folate values were significantly lower with age (p < 0.01), low NSE and low parental educational level (p: 0.0001). No relationship was found between folates and the analytical variables. According to multivariate linear regression, the variables significantly associated with serum folate were age, socioeconomic level and vitamin B12.

Conclusions: Serum folate levels in healthy school children are described. Age, socioeconomic level and serum vitamin B12 are factors associated with folate status. Specific cut-off values for a paediatric population should be defined.

What is Known:

• Folic acid is an essential micronutrient for optimal growth and development; its deficit is associated with adverse health effects.

• The studies on their status and deficit are not comparable due to a lack of agreement on appropriate indicators and reference values.

What is New:

• This study reports the levels of serum folate in a large population of healthy schoolchildren, with strict inclusion criteria in a developed country and identifies the associated sociodemographic, dietary and analytical (vitamin B12, iron parameters and erythropoietic activity) factors, avoiding potential confusion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario Torrecardenas, Paraje Torrecardenas s/n, 04009, Almería, Spain

    Sara Gómez-Bueno, Maria A. Vázquez-López, Iciar García-Escobar, María Ortiz Pérez, Antonio Bonillo-Perales & Francisco Lendinez-Molinos

  2. Almería, Spain

    Sara Gómez-Bueno

  3. Departament of Pediatrics, Hospital General Universitario Santa Lucia, Cartagena, Murcia, Spain

    Jose Eugenio Cabrera-Sevilla

Authors
  1. Sara Gómez-Bueno
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  2. Maria A. Vázquez-López
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  3. Iciar García-Escobar
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  4. Jose Eugenio Cabrera-Sevilla
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  5. María Ortiz Pérez
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  6. Antonio Bonillo-Perales
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  7. Francisco Lendinez-Molinos
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Contributions

Sara Gómez-Bueno: Conception and design, analysis and interpretation of the data, article writing, final revision

Maria A. Vázquez-López: Conception and design, analysis and interpretation of the data, article writing, final revision

Iciar García-Escobar: Acquisition of data

Jose Eugenio, Cabrera-Sevilla: Acquisition of data

Maria Ortiz Perez: Acquisition of data

Antonio Bonillo-Perales: Contributed with their final suggestions

Francisco Lendinez-Molinos: Contributed with their final suggestions

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sara Gómez-Bueno.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

This study was conducted in full compliance with the stipulations of the 1975 Helsinki Declaration. Moreover, it was approved by the Research and Ethics Committee of Torrecárdenas Hospital (Almería). This article does not contain any studies performed by any of the authors with human participants or animals.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Communicated by Gregorio Paolo Milani

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Gómez-Bueno, S., Vázquez-López, M.A., García-Escobar, I. et al. Status of folate in healthy children in Almeria. Eur J Pediatr 180, 1825–1832 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-020-03902-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-020-03902-2

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