Do multivitamin supplements modify the relationship between prenatal alcohol intake and miscarriage?
Presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Teratology Society, Monterey, CA, June 28-July 2, 2008, and the Annual Conference of the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology Research, Chicago, IL, June 23-24, 2008.
Received 3 February 2009; received in revised form 19 May 2009; accepted 20 July 2009. published online 21 October 2009.
Objective
To determine whether multivitamin supplements modify the relationship between alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage.
Study Design
We used data from a population-based cohort study of pregnant women (n = 1061; response rate = 39%). Participants were asked about their alcohol consumption and vitamin intake during pregnancy.
Results
Among multivitamin nonusers, women who drank alcohol during their pregnancy were more likely to have a miscarriage compared with women who abstained (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–2.69). However, among multivitamin users, there was no difference in the risk of miscarriage between alcohol consumers and abstainers. Results suggest the volume of alcohol as well as the timing of multivitamin supplementation may also be important.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that a woman of childbearing years might decrease her risk of miscarriage associated with alcohol intake by taking multivitamin supplements. However, our findings should be interpreted with caution and future research replicating these findings is necessary.
cDivision of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, CA
Reprints not available from the authors.
This article was a chapter of a dissertation (L.A.A.) supported by NIAAA training Grant T32-AA007240-29.
Cite this article as: Ammon Avalos L, Kaskutas LA, Block G, et al. Do multivitamin supplements modify the relationship between prenatal alcohol intake and miscarriage? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009;201:563.e1-9.
ABSTRACT
Do multivitamin supplements modify the relationship between prenatal alcohol intake and miscarriage?