CRN points to study that reinforces the importance of vitamins and minerals for pregnant women

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition expressed its support in response to a study, “Effect of Maternal Multiple Micronutrient vs Iron–Folic Acid Supplementation on Infant Mortality and Adverse Birth Outcomes in Rural Bangladesh,” published in December in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

 

“This new, large study reinforces the importance of vitamins and minerals for pregnant women and their babies, demonstrating that supplementing with multiple micronutrients (the scientific term for essential nutrients required in small amounts) may offer positive, immediate and long-term health benefits," stated Duffy MacKay, SVP, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN. "The clinical trial, which evaluated outcomes for 22,405 babies, found significant reductions in both preterm births and low birth weights of babies born to women supplementing with multiple micronutrients. In addition, supplementing with multiple micronutrients resulted in a non-statistically significant reduction in stillbirths." 

 

This study demonstrates how supplementation can be impactful on a global level, MacKay added. "There are many under-nourished populations around the world and we commend the researchers for investigating nutritional interventions in a population with a clear need — and we encourage research like this to continue. At the same time, it’s important that we not lose sight of U.S. government data that shows there are serious nutrient shortfalls in our own backyard. Taking a multivitamin is valuable for all women of childbearing age, not only in malnourished populations across the globe, but certainly also for Americans."