A new link has been found between the use of multivitamins and alcohol consumption before pregnancy, which sheds light on the importance of education about its use, particularly among women.

"It's likely a woman may consume alcohol before she even realizes she's pregnant, therefore, these findings are significant," explained Lauren Bartell Weiss, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at UC San Diego's Center for the Promotion of Maternal Health and Infant Development and co-author of the study. "If a woman is drinking alcohol regularly and unintentionally becomes pregnant, not only does her unborn child have a greater risk of being affected by the alcohol, but other studies suggest that alcohol can also alter the metabolism of nutrients and interfere with the nutritional supply to the developing baby."
Since pregnancy increases the demand for several vitamins and minerals in order to adequately support a developing fetus, Weiss said the alcohol interference with nutritional supply means a woman's unborn child may also have a greater risk of developing other birth defects, such as neural tube defects, if she hasn't been taking a multi-vitamin.
"These findings emphasize the need for educating all women of childbearing age, especially those who drink alcohol, about the importance of taking multivitamins regularly whether they're planning to have children or not," said Weiss.
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