During pregnancy, most women can’t get all the nutrients their developing babies need from food sources alone. That’s why doctors always recommend prenatal vitamin supplements to help them fill in the gaps. However, 99% of the prenatal dietary supplements on the market don’t contain the right amounts of key nutrients pregnant women need most, according to a recent analysis conducted at the University of Colorado.
The study went a step beyond simply analyzing the nutrient content of commercially available vitamins. Colorado medical researchers followed 2,450 pregnant women, first collecting detailed information about what they ate and drank. They used this information to calculate the additional amounts of vitamins A and D, folic acid, calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids the women would need to meet nutritional guidelines recommended by the National Institutes of Health.
Then, they compared about 20,000 vitamins available in the U.S. which contain these nutrients. Out of all those choices, the researchers found just one prenatal dietary supplement that could provide the right doses for most pregnant women. However, that particular supplement would cost $200 per month and would require a woman to take seven pills a day, they said.
“Nutrition is critical for a healthy mom and a healthy baby…Too little of certain nutrients can cause pre-term birth, low birthweight, birth defects and other health challenges. At the same time, too much could change how a 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.” said Katherine Sauder, Ph.D., the study’s lead author.
Sauder added that the results of the study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, highlight a pressing need for prenatal vitamin options that are both low-cost and convenient while still containing optimal amounts of key nutrients.
