Benefits Of Multivitamin For Pregnant Women
Prenatal vitamins and reduced risk of low birth weight
A new study on the benefits of multivitamin for pregnant women, suggesting they are associated with a significantly reduced risk of low birthweight babies.
The study brought together data from 13 previous studies that compared to babies whose mothers took supplements of multivitamins, with other women who took only prenatal iron supplements and folic acid or placebo.
The findings of Dr. Prakesh and colleagues at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, were published in Canadian Medical Association Journal.
They say that low birth weight and complications are considered the most common cause of death in children under five worldwide, and there is a possibility of reducing rates of low birth weight by 17 percent.
“The birth weight of newborns was 54 grams (two ounces) higher on average among children whose mothers were given micronutrients compared with children whose mothers received iron and folic acid,” was established in documentation of the investigation.
The authors estimate that 75 million births occur in developing countries, where the best single mothers receiving iron and folic acid.
“If all these women are given multi-micronutrient supplementation, our most conservative estimates indicate that about 1.5 million births with low birth weight worldwide could be prevented each year.”