Everyone is always talking about how prenatal vitamins are so important. Is a reduced risk of miscarriage something I can expect from my prenatal vitamins too?
It isn't certain whether prenatal vitamins prevent or reduce the risk of miscarriage. The evidence is mixed; some studies have found a link and others have not. Future research may shed light on what the relationship between prenatal vitamins and miscarriage risk is, if a relationship even exists.
But regardless of the answer to that question, prenatal vitamins are definitely good for you. During pregnancy, your body's needs for certain nutrients (such as folic acid, iron, and calcium) will increase, and it can sometimes be hard to know for sure that you're getting enough in your diet (especially for those of us who don't always eat a perfectly balanced diet). It is well established that having adequate intake of folic acid can reduce your risk of having a baby with neural tube defects, and there may also be a link between low folic acid and miscarriage. So the safest bet is to take your prenatals and talk to your doctor for recommendations for a particular brand or formulation that will work for you.
Sources:
Hasan, Reem, Andrew F. Olshan, Amy H. Herring, David A. Savitz, Anna Maria Siega-Riz and Katherine E. Hartmann. "Self-reported Vitamin Supplementation in Early Pregnancy and Risk of Miscarriage." American Journal of Epidemiology 2009 169(11):1312-1318.
Rumbold A, Middleton P, Crowther CA. "Vitamin supplementation for preventing miscarriage." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 2.
