Title: Effect of supplementation with vitamin A or beta carotene on mortality related to pregnancy. No magic pills exist for reducing mortality related to pregnancy.
Abstract: The result of the clinical trial conducted by West et al. raises attention because it associates the supplementation of vitamin A and B carotene to the reduction of mortality during pregnancy. Although supplements have an effect on mortality due to injuries and other miscellaneous and uncertain cases this does not mean that it has an impact regarding infections and obstetric causes. Supplementation of vitamin A does not reduce mortality among pregnant women with chronic illness and differential loss. The B carotene group was discovered to have a greater reduction rate in mortality (relative risk 0.51) and had a significant lower retinol concentration than the vitamin A group by P < 0.002. Both vitamin A and placebo groups have the same level of B carotene levels but lower than those in the B carotene group. From this data combination of different inference of biochemical heterogeneity is not advantageous in computing for their relative risk. Thus additional discussion is needed to adopt the supplementation approach. Taking into account the logistics of weekly distribution long-term safety and cost-effectiveness had no benefits for fetal or early infant mortality.
Publication Year: 1999
Publication Date: 1999-10-30
Language: en
Type: letter
Indexed In: ['pubmed']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 4
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