90% of pregnant women are deficient in key vitamins needed for a healthy pregnancy and infant health

Scientists say pregnant women and their babies are not getting the essential nutrients they need from modern diets, and warn that the situation is likely to get worse as more people turn to plant-based foods. ing.

A study looking at the health of pregnant women in high-income countries such as the UK, New Zealand and Singapore found that 90% lacked important vitamins needed for a healthy pregnancy and fetal health.

Scientists at the University of Southampton, working with experts from around the world, studied more than 1,700 women and found that most were deficient in essential nutrients found in meat and dairy products. .

These include vitamins B12, B6, D, folic acid, and riboflavin, which are essential for fetal development in the womb.

Keith Godfrey, lead author and professor of epidemiology at the University of Southampton, said the prevalence of vitamin deficiencies among women trying to conceive in wealthy countries was a serious concern.

Efforts to reduce reliance on meat and dairy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions could further deplete pregnant mothers of vital nutrients and could have lasting effects on the fetus .

Our research shows that almost all women trying to conceive have deficient levels of one or more vitamins, and as the world moves to a plant-based diet, this number will only get worse.

People think that nutritional deficiencies only affect people in developing countries, but they also affect the majority of women living in high-income countries. ”

Keith Godfrey, Professor of Epidemiology, University of Southampton

The research published in PLOS medicineevaluated 1,729 women between the ages of 18 and 38 at the time of pregnancy and followed many women during subsequent pregnancies.

The study was carried out by researchers from Southampton and its National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre, the University of Auckland, the National University of Singapore and the Science and Technology Agency of Singapore.

The results showed that 9 out of 10 women had marginal or low levels of folate, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and D around the time of pregnancy, and many women developed vitamin B6 deficiency in late pregnancy. .

Co-author Wayne Cutfield, professor of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Auckland, said folic acid is recommended for women planning or pregnant, while it reduces nutritional deficiencies for expectant mothers. For this reason, it is necessary to administer an over-the-counter multivitamin.

It added: “A mother’s health before and during pregnancy directly impacts her infant’s health, lifelong physical development, and learning ability.”

The PLOS Medicine trial is the first to show that over-the-counter supplements can reduce vitamin deficiencies before, during pregnancy, and during breastfeeding.

Associate Professor Hsiao Ying Chan, from the National University of Singapore, said: “Unless women start taking more vitamins, if they continue to follow a diet that reduces meat and dairy products and intakes of micronutrients essential for child development, , vitamin deficiencies will continue to increase.” You will be supported with specific advice on supplements and nutrient-dense foods. ”