Folate (vitamin B9) deficiency can cause which problems?

• A. Night blindness
• B. Anemia, digestive disorders, spina bifida, and anencephaly
• C. Bleeding
• D. Impaired wound healing

Answer: (B)

Folate is essential for one-carbon metabolism and DNA synthesis, which is crucial for rapid cell division. When folate is deficient, DNA synthesis is impaired, leading to megaloblastic anemia due to slow maturation of red blood cell precursors. Folate deficiency also affects the rapidly renewing cells of the gastrointestinal tract, causing digestive disturbances such as anorexia and diarrhea. In early pregnancy, adequate folate is critical for neural tube closure; insufficient folate increases the risk of neural tube defects, including spina bifida and anencephaly. Other problems listed align with deficiencies of different nutrients—for example, night blindness with vitamin A deficiency, bleeding with vitamin K deficiency, and impaired wound healing more commonly with vitamin C deficiency or zinc—so they do not reflect folate deficiency.