MONITORING OF THE NUTRITIONAL INTAKE OF FOLIC ACID AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN NIŠ

The needs for micronutrients are increased during pregnancy primarily due to physiological changes and altered homeostatic control. Food, as the primary source of all nutrients, is not always sufficient to cover the increased needs, whereas the degree and frequency of nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy is various in demographic groups. The aim of this paper was to investigate the nutritional intake of folic acid among pregnant women in Nis, Serbia. The research was conducted in 2014 and 2015 which included pregnant women who lived on the territory of the City of Nis, between 20 and 35 years of age. The study was conducted by using the random sampling methodology, with 25 respondents included. In our pilot study, a high percentage of pregnant women in the observed sample did not meet the guidelines for the daily intake of folic acid which also brought about an insufficient intake of other nutrients that are essential for pregnancy. The results of the conducted study undoubtedly point out to the need to implement supplementation schema improvement policy based on the individual nutritional status of every pregnant woman in order to reduce the possibilities of both insufficient and excessive intake of dietary supplements and the immediate risk to the health of the fetus. There is an imperative need to strategically and generally inform the female population on the importance of the folic acid intake as well as the consequences that can appear due to insufficient intake.