The misconception of multivitamins: side effects of everyday supplement to pregnant mothers and her unborn child.
By Faizal Fuad
In 2009, a study published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) of Internal Medicine showed that multivitamins use doesn’t necessarily capable of providing the right amount of nutrients for prenatal uses. Some would say it constitute almost a complete repertoire of nutrients available for fetal development however, scientific evidence have not shown that the usual vitamin supplements are of benefit to either the mother or her fetus and the potential is quite meager. However, the use of multivitamin is now so common among women all around the globe hence resulting to many pregnant mothers resort to the supplements as a mean to a healthy lifestyle. Many are popping pills without taking heed of the danger and side effects it could pose to the unborn baby. While it can be beneficial at times for the baby, taking too much of multivitamins that you don’t need could also make you sick.
Many would say that a healthy lifestyle is based on what you eat and popping a few multivitamins or any everyday supplement would contribute to a balanced and healthy diet. Well this seems to be particularly true as most of the prescribed supplements do contain the right amount of nutrient that are supposed for fetal development and had been suggested by many obstetrics worldwide. For example, prenatal vitamins are high in folic acid and it helps brain development in fetus. A fetus takes a lot of vital nutrients from your body when you're pregnant and the consumption of the right supplement could help you to nurture the right kind of nutrient to the baby. Furthermore, the consumption of iron contains in folic acid is particularly vital to mommies with iron deficient problem so that both the unborn child and the mother will benefit from the nutrients.
While it is true that the vitamins in prenatal are vital, some women however, doesn’t necessarily in need of the particular nutrients reside in the multivitamins. As the amount of nutrients required is relatively small, eating healthily will do just fine. Having too much of folic acid in particular can mask the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to other problems such as rapid heart rate, easy bruising and memory loss. This indirectly would be detrimental for the unborn child. Overdoes of other nutrients such as Vitamin C and iodine, which can be easily obtained through proper eating, can also induce scurvy and a sizeable goiter in the fetus respectively which indubitably is something that everybody would not want to happen!
All in all, taking too much of multivitamins without proper prescriptions and awareness of the product can indeed be harmful however women are not completely off the hook as good things also happen along way. What does seem certain is that women should better off taking vitamins more discriminatingly, if they take them at all.