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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2015 Jul;11(3):297-304.
doi: 10.1111/mcn.12018. Epub 2012 Dec 17.

Effect of multivitamin supplements on weight gain during pregnancy among HIV-negative women in Tanzania

Freeman T Changamire  1 , Ramadhani S Mwiru  2 , Karen E Peterson  2   3 , Gernard I Msamanga  4 , Donna Spiegelman  5   6 , Paul Petraro  2 , Willy Urassa  7 , Wafaie W Fawzi  2   5   8
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of multivitamin supplements on weight gain during pregnancy among HIV-negative women in Tanzania

Freeman T Changamire et al. Matern Child Nutr. 2015 Jul.

Abstract

Multivitamin supplementation has been shown to reduce the risk of low birthweight. This effect could be mediated through gestational weight gain. However, the effect of multivitamin supplementation on weight gain during pregnancy has not been fully studied. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of multivitamins on pregnancy weight gain. We enrolled 8468 HIV-negative women from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial of multivitamins on birth outcomes. Women were randomly assigned to receive either a daily oral dose of multivitamin tablets or a placebo and were weighed every 4 weeks from enrolment until the last visit before delivery. Intent-to-treat analyses were carried out to examine the effects of multivitamins on pregnancy weight gain. Multivariate linear and binomial regression models with the log-link function were used to examine the association of weight gain during pregnancy to birthweight. The overall total weight gain was 253 g (SE: 69, P: 0.0003) more, while the overall 4 weekly weight gain was 59 g greater (SE: 18, P: 0.005) among women who received multivitamins compared to placebo. Women in the lowest quartile of gestational weight gain had babies with an average birthweight of 3030 g (SD: 524), while women in the highest quartile had babies weighing 3246 g (SD: 486), on average. Prenatal multivitamin supplements increased gestational weight gain, which was a significant predictor of birthweight.

Keywords: Africa; birthweight; multivitamins; pregnancy; weight.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Birthweight in relation to total gestational weight gain.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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