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LONDON, Dec 4, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A British study has found that underweight pregnant women are more likely to miscarry than women of normal weight.
The study authors, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the risk could be tempered with a proper diet or vitamin consumption, The Independent reported Monday.
The researchers based their findings on data collected from 603 women between the ages of 18 and 55 who miscarried during the first three months of pregnancy. That data was compared to information collected from 6,000 women whose pregnancies surpassed the three-month mark.
The findings suggested that underweight women faced a 72 percent greater chance of miscarriage during the first three months than women of normal weight, but the risk was reduced by about 50 percent in women who took vitamin supplements including folic acid, iron and multivitamins. Daily fruit and vegetable consumption had a similar effect to vitamin intake, the researchers said.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
