CMAJ • June 9, 2009; 180 (12). doi:10.1503/cmaj.081777.
© 2009 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
All editorial matter in CMAJ represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Canadian Medical Association.
This Article
Right arrow Figures Only
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Abridged Version
Right arrow Résumé
Right arrow Online Appendices
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Shah, P. S.
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Shah, P. S.

Research

Effects of prenatal multimicronutrient supplementation on pregnancy outcomes: a meta-analysis

Prakesh S. Shah, MD MSc, Arne Ohlsson, MD MSc on behalf of the Knowledge Synthesis Group on Determinants of Low Birth Weight and Preterm Births

From the Department of Paediatrics (Shah, Ohlsson), Mount Sinai Hospital and University of Toronto, and the Departments of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Shah, Ohlsson), and Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Ohlsson), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.

Correspondence to: Dr. Prakesh S. Shah, Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Rm. 775A, 600 University Ave., Toronto ON M5G 1X5; fax 416 586-8745; pshah{at}mtsinai.on.ca

Background: Reduced intake of micronutrients during pregnancy exposes women to nutritional deficiencies and may affect fetal growth. We conducted a systematic review to examine the efficacy of prenatal supplementation with multimicronutrients on pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library for relevant articles published in English up to December 2008. We also searched the bibliographies of selected articles as well as clinical trial registries. The primary outcome was low birth weight; secondary outcomes were preterm birth, small-for-gestational-age infants, birth weight and gestational age.

Results: We observed a significant reduction in the risk of low birth weight among infants born to women who received multimicronutrients during pregnancy compared with placebo (relative risk [RR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73–0.91) or iron–folic acid supplementation (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74–0.93). Birth weight was significantly higher among infants whose mothers were in the multimicronutrient group than among those whose mothers received iron–folic acid supplementation (weighted mean difference 54 g, 95% CI 36 g–72 g). There was no significant differences in the risk of preterm birth or small-for-gestational-age infants between the 3 study groups.

Interpretation: Prenatal multimicronutrient supplementation was associated with a significantly reduced risk of low birth weight and with improved birth weight when compared with iron–folic acid supplementation. There was no significant effect of multimicronutrient supplementation on the risk of preterm birth or small-for-gestational-age infants.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
L. Huybregts, D. Roberfroid, H. Lanou, J. Menten, N. Meda, J. Van Camp, and P. Kolsteren
Prenatal food supplementation fortified with multiple micronutrients increases birth length: a randomized controlled trial in rural Burkina Faso
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2009; 90(6): 1593 - 1600.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]