A recent Reuters Health story, headlined “Vitamins won’t prevent pregnancy complication,” reported on the failure of vitamins C and E to prevent preeclampsia (a serious elevation of maternal blood pressure late in pregnancy) when taken prenatally. However, ACSH's Dr.
A recent Reuters Health story, headlined “Vitamins won’t prevent pregnancy complication,” reported on the failure of vitamins C and E to prevent preeclampsia (a serious elevation of maternal blood pressure late in pregnancy) when taken prenatally. However, ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan believes the headline may lead readers to believe that prenatal vitamins are unnecessary. “I worry that the headline will confuse women about the appropriate use of vitamin supplements during pregnancy. There is still strong evidence that the use of the B-vitamin folic acid (or folate), before and during pregnancy helps reduce the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects in newborns.”
