What does a folic acid test check?

Women need to undergo various examinations before becoming pregnant in order to have a healthy baby. In fact, in addition to checking the physical condition, folic acid tests are also required. The purpose is to develop a special supplement plan based on the individual woman's utilization of folic acid. So what does the folic acid test mainly check? The following article will introduce you to common folic acid test items and relevant knowledge about folic acid, which you can refer to.

What is Folic Acid

Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin that does not exist in nature and has no biological activity, but is a precursor of biologically active folate. Folate is widely present in nature, found in both animals and plants, and is abundant in liver, kidney, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, wheat bran, etc. Folic acid can transfer a carbon group (methyl or formyl) to deoxyuridine, converting it into deoxythymidylic acid and then synthesizing DNA.

What does the folic acid test check?

1. Determination of red blood cell, white blood cell, platelet count as well as hemoglobin and hematocrit is collectively referred to as peripheral blood measurement. When folic acid is deficient, the anemia is macrocytic (MCV>100 fl); when folic acid is severely deficient, the enlarged neutrophil population is accompanied by a right shift of the nucleus.

2. Measure the bone marrow. When folic acid is deficient, vacuoles will form in the cytoplasm and megakaryocytes will have excessive nuclear lobation.

3. Serum folate is measured by microbial or radiocompetitive protein binding techniques.

4. Determine red blood cell folate, and simultaneously determine red blood cell, whole blood folate, and serum folate hematocrit.

5. Determination of urinary iminoformylglutamate. Under normal circumstances, the reference standard value for human excretion is <3 mg/24h; in the case of folic acid deficiency, the human excretion may rise to 1000 mg/24h or even higher.

6. Measure folic acid in paper blood smear specimens. This method requires less blood and is simpler to operate.

Is folic acid test necessary?

If conditions permit, it is recommended that you do some related inspections

1. Take 400 mg of folic acid every day during the first three months of your planned pregnancy. Folic acid deficiency in expectant mothers is one of the important causes of premature birth. The fetus needs folic acid very much. It has anti-anemia properties, can effectively reduce the chance of fetal neural tube defects, and is also beneficial to improving the intelligence of the fetus, making the newborn healthier and smarter.

2. “Four eugenics tests”. That is, by drawing blood to check whether there is infection with procytic virus, rubella virus, herpes simplex virus and toxoplasmosis. The four examination items are about microorganisms, which do not cause obvious symptoms when the human body is infected and can be easily overlooked. Once a pregnant woman is infected with procyonic herpes simplex virus and herpes simplex virus, it may cause mental retardation, visual, hearing and language disorders in the fetus. It is not easily perceived by humans and exists in body fluids such as saliva, tears, cervical secretions and urine for a long time. Once a pregnant woman is infected with Toxoplasma gondii, it may cause miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth or deformity. Pregnant women infected with rubella virus may cause congenital deafness, mental retardation, etc. in the fetus.

But such examination is not necessary. If the mother has always been in good health and there is nothing unusual, or if the environment she lives in is not particularly polluted, it is okay not to do it.