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Pre-Pregnancy
Multivitamins Prevent Prematurity
(NY, Reuters Health, 11/5/04)
While at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Dr. Anjel Vahratian (now at the University of Michigan), and
colleagues, queried 2,010 pregnant women about their use of
multivitamins; then tracked who gave birth prematurely. The
investigators found that women who took multivitamins before
becoming pregnant were less likely to have premature babies.
The researchers speculate that the folic acid contained in the
supplement may improve placental health, which in turn
facilitates fetal growth in the final months of development.
These findings suggest that, by promoting better health in the
mother, multiple vitamins may increase the probability that a
pregnancy will last full-term.
(American Journal of Epidemiology,
November 1, 2004) |
Article Summary