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The relationship between dietary supplement use in late pregnancy and birth outcomes: a cohort study in British women

The relationship between dietary supplement use in late pregnancy and birth outcomes: a cohort study in British women
The relationship between dietary supplement use in late pregnancy and birth outcomes: a cohort study in British women
Objective: to examine the relationship between dietary supplement use during pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Design: a prospective birth cohort.

Setting: Leeds, UK.

Sample: one thousand two hundred and seventy-four pregnant women aged 18–45 years.

Methods: dietary supplement intake was ascertained using three questionnaires for the first, second and third trimesters. Dietary intake was reported in a 24-hour dietary recall administered by a research midwife at 8–12 weeks of gestation. Information on delivery details and antenatal pregnancy complications was obtained from the hospital maternity records.

Main outcome measures: birthweight, birth centile and preterm birth.

Results: reported dietary supplement use declined from 82% of women in the first trimester of pregnancy to 22% in the second trimester and 33% in the third trimester. Folic acid was the most commonly reported supplement taken. Taking any type of daily supplement during any trimester was not significantly associated with size at birth taking into account known relevant confounders. Women taking multivitamin-mineral supplements in the third trimester were more likely to experience preterm birth (adjusted OR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.2, 9.6, P = 0.02).

Conclusions: regular multivitamin–mineral supplement use during pregnancy, in a developed country setting, is not associated with size at birth. However, it appears to be associated with preterm birth if taken daily in the third trimester. The mechanism for this is unclear and our study’s findings need confirming by other cohorts and/or trials in developed countries
1470-0328
821-829
Alwan, NA
0d37b320-f325-4ed3-ba51-0fe2866d5382
Greenwood, D.C.
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Simpson, N.A.B.
e5b1db81-a33d-410a-a7ac-60d7c87dd20b
McArdle, H.J.
7dc81948-ae75-4520-95ba-b19a2362cd50
Cade, J.E.
df7f8cfe-789e-43b1-94fc-85d82f8367a7
Alwan, NA
0d37b320-f325-4ed3-ba51-0fe2866d5382
Greenwood, D.C.
6c2ee741-aa21-4a11-b0be-b0469a79c8e2
Simpson, N.A.B.
e5b1db81-a33d-410a-a7ac-60d7c87dd20b
McArdle, H.J.
7dc81948-ae75-4520-95ba-b19a2362cd50
Cade, J.E.
df7f8cfe-789e-43b1-94fc-85d82f8367a7

Alwan, NA, Greenwood, D.C., Simpson, N.A.B., McArdle, H.J. and Cade, J.E. (2010) The relationship between dietary supplement use in late pregnancy and birth outcomes: a cohort study in British women. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 117 (7), 821-829. (doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2010.02549.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: to examine the relationship between dietary supplement use during pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Design: a prospective birth cohort.

Setting: Leeds, UK.

Sample: one thousand two hundred and seventy-four pregnant women aged 18–45 years.

Methods: dietary supplement intake was ascertained using three questionnaires for the first, second and third trimesters. Dietary intake was reported in a 24-hour dietary recall administered by a research midwife at 8–12 weeks of gestation. Information on delivery details and antenatal pregnancy complications was obtained from the hospital maternity records.

Main outcome measures: birthweight, birth centile and preterm birth.

Results: reported dietary supplement use declined from 82% of women in the first trimester of pregnancy to 22% in the second trimester and 33% in the third trimester. Folic acid was the most commonly reported supplement taken. Taking any type of daily supplement during any trimester was not significantly associated with size at birth taking into account known relevant confounders. Women taking multivitamin-mineral supplements in the third trimester were more likely to experience preterm birth (adjusted OR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.2, 9.6, P = 0.02).

Conclusions: regular multivitamin–mineral supplement use during pregnancy, in a developed country setting, is not associated with size at birth. However, it appears to be associated with preterm birth if taken daily in the third trimester. The mechanism for this is unclear and our study’s findings need confirming by other cohorts and/or trials in developed countries

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Accepted/In Press date: 15 February 2010
Published date: 29 March 2010
Organisations: Primary Care & Population Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 377786
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/377786
ISSN: 1470-0328
PURE UUID: a3aba760-125a-49ea-9e6d-7a4766888f40
ORCID for NA Alwan: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4134-8463

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Date deposited: 05 Jun 2015 11:22
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:52

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Contributors

Author: NA Alwan ORCID iD
Author: D.C. Greenwood
Author: N.A.B. Simpson
Author: H.J. McArdle
Author: J.E. Cade

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