title: Effect of multivitamin supplements on weight gain during pregnancy among HIV-negative women in Tanzania.
abstract: Multivitamin supplementation has been shown to reduce the risk of low birthweight. This effect could be mediated through gestational weight gain. However, the effect of multivitamin supplementation on weight gain during pregnancy has not been fully studied. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of multivitamins on pregnancy weight gain. We enrolled 8468 HIV-negative women from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial of multivitamins on birth outcomes. Women were randomly assigned to receive either a daily oral dose of multivitamin tablets or a placebo and were weighed every 4 weeks from enrolment until the last visit before delivery. Intent-to-treat analyses were carried out to examine the effects of multivitamins on pregnancy weight gain. Multivariate linear and binomial regression models with the log-link function were used to examine the association of weight gain during pregnancy to birthweight. The overall total weight gain was 253 g (SE: 69, P: 0.0003) more, while the overall 4 weekly weight gain was 59 g greater (SE: 18, P: 0.005) among women who received multivitamins compared to placebo. Women in the lowest quartile of gestational weight gain had babies with an average birthweight of 3030 g (SD: 524), while women in the highest quartile had babies weighing 3246 g (SD: 486), on average. Prenatal multivitamin supplements increased gestational weight gain, which was a significant predictor of birthweight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Freeman T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Changamire
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Ramadhani S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Mwiru
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.|Human Nutrition Program, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Gernard I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Msamanga
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.|Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spiegelman
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petraro
authors.affiliation: Department Microbiology and Immunology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Urassa
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.|Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.|Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Wafaie W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Fawzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D011247:Pregnancy; D013636:Tanzania; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins