THE TRUTH ABOUT PRENATAL SUPPLEMENTS

Researchers state most prenatal supplements in the market largely lack the recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids that may help prevent preterm birth

Most prenatal supplements lack the amount of omega-3 fatty acids that could help prevent preterm birth, meaning delivery before 37 weeks' gestation. This is a key finding of a new study, published by a team from the Eastern Virginia Medical School in the American Journal of Perinatology.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that are found largely in fatty fish. They help prevent inflammation and, by doing so, decrease the risk of preterm birth.

The study, however, showed that roughly 1 in 6 prenatal supplements on the market in the US that contain omega-3 fatty acids provide the amount that is needed by most pregnant women.

The researchers used the US Department of Agriculture's Dietary Supplement Label Database to identify prenatal supplements that contained omega-3 fatty acids. They then compared the stated amount of omega-3s on the product labels with the recommended amounts in the new guidelines published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Maternal-Fetal Medicine by a team of experts representing international obstetric and child health organizations.

The guidelines recommend different doses of omega-3 fatty acids depending on whether a woman's baseline intake prior to pregnancy was adequate or inadequate.