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Current Prenatal Multivitamin, Mineral Labels Are Misleading

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 3, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Dec. 3, 2024 -- Current prenatal multivitamin and mineral (PMVM) labels are misleading and often exclude the presence of heavy metals, according to a study published online Nov. 18 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Laura M. Borgelt, Pharm.D., from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, and colleagues analyzed 32 nonprescription and 15 prescription PMVMs regarding choline and iodine content, as well as arsenic, lead, and cadmium.

The researchers found that choline amounts were reported on 25.6 percent of products, including five within 20 percent of the claimed amount, two over the claimed amount by >20 percent, and five under the claimed amount by >20 percent. Iodine amounts were reported for 53.2 percent of products, including four within 20 percent of the claimed amount, 20 under the claimed amount by >20 percent, and one over the claimed amount by >20 percent. Amounts of arsenic, lead, and cadmium above United States Pharmacopeia purity limits were found in seven, two, and 13 PMVMs, respectively.

"Current PMVM labels are misleading with the potential to harm pregnant persons and fetuses through omission or inaccurate content of essential nutrients and inclusion of heavy metals," the authors write.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted December 2024

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