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Do Pregnant Women Really Need a Multivitamin?

For decades, pregnant women have been advised to take prenatal vitamins in order to ensure that they get the nutrients the fetus needs for a healthy nine-month growing period. These vitamins typically contain folic acid, which is critical for neural development, and other B vitamins that can be hard to get from diet alone. But a slate of recent reports are casting some doubt on the advice that all pregnant women need all those other daily vitamins. That doesn’t mean pregnant women should ditch their prenatal, however.

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 Prenatal supplements fall woefully short in providing crucial nutrition during pregnancy – and most women don’t even know it

If there’s one thing doctors agree on, it’s that all of their pregnant patients should take prenatal supplements. As a result, about 3 in 4 expecting mothers follow their doctor’s advice. But even though they’re crucial for the health of mother and baby alike, prenatal supplements are not evaluated for safety and efficacy in the same way that foods and drug products are. There are no rules that require these supplements to contain any nutrients at all, let alone the appropriate doses. Not surprisingly, research shows that none of the most widely available over-the-counter prenatal supplements – whether they are tablets, capsules, soft gels or gummies – provide adequate levels of five key nutrients: folic acid, iron, vitamin D, calcium and docosahexaenoic acid, a member of the family of omega-3 fatty acids.

Articles of Interest

Do I Really Need to Take Prenatal Vitamins Before I’m Even Pregnant?

Here’s why you might want to.

Pregnant women don’t need prenatal multivitamins, study concludes

The researchers do recommend that pregnant women take vitamin D and folic acid supplements, both of which are available in inexpensive generics. And they call for more attention to a healthy overall diet.

Pregnant women wasting money on vitamin supplements, study says

Research claims multivitamins and minerals do not improve mothers’ or babies’ health and are an unnecessary expense.

Should New Moms Take Postnatal Vitamins After Childbirth?

Postpartum nutrition is extremely important, but postnatal vitamins specifically might be just a marketing gimmick.

Should you skip prenatal vitamins with folic acid?

If you’re planning a pregnancy or you’re already pregnant, chances are your doctor told you to take a prenatal vitamin with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida and anencephaly. Yet new research shows that this recommendation may not be a one-size-fits-all approach and may increase the chances that your baby could be born with birth defects.

This Woman Couldn't Afford Prenatal Vitamins, So a Stranger Bought Them for Her

It’s repeatedly drilled into women from the moment they say they’re trying to conceive: Take your prenatal vitamins. But many of us take the cost of those supplements for granted—a 90-day supply will run you anywhere from $12 to $40, depending on the brand you choose. And, when faced with the many costs associated with being pregnant, giving birth, and being a parent, it may be tempting to forgo the vitamins.

Vitamin supplementation in pregnancy

Many nutritional supplements containing vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients are heavily marketed to women for all stages of pregnancy. However, much of the evidence for vitamin supplementation in pregnancy comes from studies carried out in low-income countries.

Wait, Are Prenatal Vitamins Actually a Scam?

Prenatal multivitamin cocktails may not be worth the money for most pregnant women with well-rounded diets, who may only need to take a few key vitamins.

What’s in Your Prenatal Vitamin?

Doctors recommend them before, during and even after a pregnancy. But regulation is spotty and finding the right pill can be hard.

Women Still Need Folic Acid Supplements To Prevent Birth Defects

If you can get pregnant, you should be popping at least one pill a day: a folic acid supplement to lower the risk of a type of serious birth defect in any future offspring. So says the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which Tuesday reiterated its 2009 recommendation that all women who can conceive take 400 to 800 micrograms daily of the B vitamin in case their diet isn't providing enough of it.

Resources

The 13 Best Prenatal Vitamins... Recommended By Doctors And Dieticians

Plus, all the nitty-gritty you need to know about choosing and timing.

The Best Prenatal Vitamins, According to Ob-Gyns (Plus, Why You Need Them In the First Place)

In general, you should look for prenatal vitamins that include four specific ingredients: B6, folic acid, iodine, and iron, says Mary Jacobson, M.D., a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and chief medical director at Alpha Medical.