Prenatal micronutrient combinations with high iron content are associated with high rates of gastrointestinal symptoms. This coupled with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy results in women often discontinuing their multivitamins.
A new prescription supplement (PregVit ®) that separates iron from calcium in two tablets – morning and evening, has lower elemental iron content (35 mg), but results in similar extent of iron absorption when compared to another supplement containing (60 mg) of elemental iron (Materna ®). The objectives of this study were to compare tolerability and compliance with PregVit ® vs. a supplement with high iron content (Materna ®), in pregnant women.
Randomized, crossover open labeled study in 135 pregnant women attending outpatient clinics in Ontario and Quebec.
Use of PregVit ® was associated with a 30% reduction in constipation rate as compared to Materna ®. Both products demonstrated similar compliance rates.
Compliance of Materna ® was negatively associated with the severity of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. No such correlation was found for PregVvit ®.