Pregnant women need all the nutrition they can get. Doctors will prescribe supplements to make sure they are getting the nutrients they need during this important time of life.
But a new study reveals most prenatal supplements aren’t offering enough nutrition to meet the needs of both mother and child. Read on to find out what you need to know.
The Study
Researchers from the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity (LEAD) Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus found that 90% of pregnant women don’t get adequate nutrition from their diet. They must use supplements to make up for deficits. But the study also found that most supplements that are available do not contain the nutrients that are necessary for making up for the imbalance.
The study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition yesterday, followed 2450 pregnant women analyzing what they ate and drank throughout their pregnancy. They determined how much they were getting of vital nutrients such as folic acid, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. They measured that against the Institute of Health (NIH) nutritional guidelines for how much of each nutrient pregnant women should be consuming each day.
They compared over 20,000 vitamins available in the United States today to determine which were up to the challenge.
The Results
The results showed that only one supplement offered enough nutrition to meet pregnant women’s needs. The study did not reveal which supplement that was. However, Katherine Sauder, Ph.D. deputy director of the LEAD Center and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and lead author of the study shared some information on the supplement, and it wasn’t very encouraging.
“Out of all the prenatal and general vitamins analyzed, we found only one that may potentially give pregnant patients the optimal amounts of the most important nutrients. But the monthly cost of this supplement can be too high for some people, and it requires pregnant people to take seven pills a day,” she said.
While the study brings negative news, it also means hope for the future.
“The research will inform pregnant patients and their doctors about key nutrients they may be missing in their diets and help them choose prenatal vitamins that can provide the nutrients they need. Dietary supplement manufacturers can also use these results to inform better dosing in their products.
She is hoping the study will emphasize the need for prenatal vitamins that are effective and low-cost. She also said more research is needed to help pregnant people get more key nutrients in their diets.
Saunders also stressed the importance of pregnant women getting the right amount of nutrients in their diets.
“Nutrition is critical for a healthy mom and healthy baby. Too little of certain nutrients can cause pre-term birth, low birth weight, birth defects, and other health challenges. At the same time, too much could change how the baby’s body develops and their risk of having health problems in the future. That’s why eating a balanced diet and choosing a good prenatal vitamin is so important.”
