Multivitamins during pregnancy may boost infant health

Daily supplements of multivitamins during pregnancy may improve the growth of the baby in the womb, in Black, American women. Women who were taking multivitamins around the time of conception gave birth to babies who were half a kilo heavier on average than women who took nothing. Data from 2,331 white and 133 black mothers revealed a significant correlation between multivitamin use in African American women and an increase in birth weight. While this was not a randomised trial, but a study looking at relationships between factors, there was also a trend toward increased gestation periods in these women. This kind of trial cannot show causality – it is possible that multivitamin merely indicates those mothers with a healthier lifestyle, but these results are consistent with a plausible role played by micronutrients during foetal growth.

What can you do?

Increasing your micronutrient intake can be achieved by making sure you increase your intake of fibrous veggies with every meal. In addition, many good quality multivitamin supplements are great insurance against dietary shortfalls that many of us with busy lives may suffer from. Life Extension’s Comprehensive Nutrient pack also includes DHA, the fatty acid essential for the development of a baby’s brain.

Reference
March H.H. Burris, A.A. Mitchell, M.M. Werler, 2010; “Periconceptional Multivitamin Use and Infant Birth Weight Disparities” Annals of Epidemiology Volume 20, Issue 3, Pages 233-240