Clinical Study Title:
Occurrence of omphalocele in relation to maternal multivitamin use: a population-based study.

Plain English Summary:

This study looked at the relation between a pregnant mother's use of a daily multivitamin and the occurrence of a birth anomaly in the wall of the abdomen called omphalocele. This birth defect can sometimes occur with neural tube defects, something that regular multivitamin use is able to protect against. Comparisons were made about the use of a multivitamin by women both before and after pregnancy were made with other mothers of babies without birth defects. Analysis showed that mothers who used a multivitamin prior to becoming pregnant were associated with reduction of omphalocele in addition to the neural tube defects. This suggests that maintaining good health prior to becoming pregnant as well as during pregnant can also help to reduce the risks of other birth defects.

Authors

Erickson, J. David

Institution

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA.

Country of Publication

United States

Source

Pediatrics. 109(5):904-8, 2002 May.