Multis Protect Against Diabetes-Related Birth Defects

Multis Protect Against Diabetes-Related Birth Defects

ATLANTA--Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC) discovered periconceptional use (three months before throughthe first three months of pregnancy) of multivitamin supplements may reduce therisk of birth defects in children born to diabetic mothers, according to a studyin the May issue of Pediatrics (111, 5:1146-51, 2003) (www.pediatrics.org).Investigators analyzed the population-based Atlanta Birth Defects Case-ControlStudy and identified 3,278 infants with birth defects reported to be associatedwith diabetes and compared these to 3,029 healthy control infants. Children bornto mothers with diabetes had an increased risk of selected birth defects,although the increased risk was limited to the babies of diabetic mothers whodid not take multivitamins during the periconceptional period. Infants born todiabetic mothers who regularly took a multivitamin supplement during thepericonceptional period had no increased risk of birth defects.