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Vitamin A supplementation during pregnancy.
D E Van1, R Kulier, A M Gülmezoglu
1Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, UK, L3 5QA. vdbroek@liverpool.ac.uk
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|January 10, 2003
Summary
Vitamin A supplements in pregnancy may reduce maternal mortality, particularly with weekly doses, and improve anemia. However, more research is needed to confirm these benefits and understand the mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Maternal mortality and morbidity are significant global health concerns.
- Vitamin A supplementation during pregnancy is a potential intervention to improve maternal and newborn outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effectiveness of vitamin A supplementation in pregnancy.
- To evaluate its impact on maternal and newborn clinical and laboratory outcomes, alone or with other supplements.
Main Methods:
- Searched Cochrane specialized registers for randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials.
- Included trials evaluating vitamin A supplementation in pregnant women, alone or with other micronutrients.
- Assessed trial quality and extracted data on various maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Main Results:
- Five trials involving 23,426 women were included; meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity.
- One trial suggested weekly vitamin A reduced maternal mortality (RR 0.60) and night blindness.
- Vitamin A with iron showed a significant benefit for anemia in one trial, but findings were not corroborated in others.
Conclusions:
- Evidence suggests potential benefits of vitamin A supplementation in pregnancy, particularly for maternal mortality and anemia.
- Further rigorous trials are necessary to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
- The role of vitamin A in reducing maternal morbidity requires additional investigation.