|
Vitamin A supplementation does not improve maternal
survival.
|
|
|
|
|
| Article Type: | Brief article |
| Subject: |
Vitamin A
(Health aspects) Vitamin A (Research) Dietary supplements (Health aspects) Dietary supplements (Research) Mothers (Patient outcomes) Mothers (Prevention) Mothers (Research) |
| Pub Date: | 11/01/2010 |
| Publication: | Name: Reproductive Health Matters Publisher: Elsevier Science Publishers Audience: General Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Family and marriage; Health; Women's issues/gender studies Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 Reproductive Health Matters ISSN: 0968-8080 |
| Issue: | Date: Nov, 2010 Source Volume: 18 Source Issue: 36 |
| Topic: | Event Code: 310 Science & research |
| Product: | Product Code: 2834730 Nutrient Preparations NAICS Code: 325412 Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing SIC Code: 2833 Medicinals and botanicals; 2834 Pharmaceutical preparations |
| Geographic: | Geographic Scope: Nepal Geographic Code: 9NEPA Nepal |
|
|
|
| Accession Number: | 247520212 |
| Full Text: |
A previous trial in Nepal showed that supplementation with vitamin
A or its precursor (betacarotene) in women of reproductive age reduced
pregnancy-related mortality by 44%. A large, cluster-randomised,
double-blind, placebo-controlled trial undertaken in seven districts in
Brong Ahafo Region in Ghana assessed the effect of vitamin A
supplementation on 104,484 women aged 15-45 years. Capsules were
distributed during home visits every four weeks, and data were gathered
on pregnancies, births, and deaths. The main reason for participant
drop-out was migration. In the intention to treat analysis, there were
39,601 pregnancies and 138 pregnancy-related deaths in the vitamin A
supplementation group (348 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies) compared with
39,234 pregnancies and 148 pregnancy-related deaths in the placebo group
(377 per 100,000 pregnancies), (adjusted odds ratio 0.92, p=0.51). The
number of deaths did not differ in significance between the two groups.
The evidence, although limited, does not support inclusion of vitamin A
supplementation for women in either safe motherhood or child survival
strategies. (1) (1.) Kirkwood BR, Hurt L, Amenga-Etego S, et al. Effect of vitamin A supplementation in women of reproductive age on maternal survival in Ghana (ObaapaVitA): a cluster-randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2010;375(9726):1640-49. |
| Gale Copyright: | Copyright 2010 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. |