Health

Study: Vitamin E Important For Pregnant Women

(CBS News) Lauren McGrail is seven weeks pregnant but she spent months preparing her body for the planned pregnancy.

"I try to get a lot of sleep, I get 8 hours a night and take my vitamins and try to eat a balanced diet," said McGrail, an expectant mother.

Dr. Jennifer Wu, from Lennox Hill Hospital, says it's vital for expectant mothers to eat right and get the right supplements.

"It's recommended that women trying to get pregnant or in early pregnancy start prenatal vitamins," said Dr. Wu.

And a new study is showing how important taking vitamins can be, including Vitamin E.

In a study of 1,200 pregnant women, researchers made a surprising discovery.

Women who got the least amount of Vitamin E were five times more likely to have children that eventually developed asthma.

CBS News' Dr. Mallika Marshall reports that scientists aren't exactly sure why that's the case and more study is needed to find out. But they do know that vitamins play an important role in a child's development and expectant mothers need to get the right amount.

Vitamin E can be found in fats from nuts and some vegetable oils.

Between diet and prenatal vitamins, most women get enough but there are some at risk.

"These would be patients on extremely low fat diets. Also patients who've had gastric bypass have trouble absorbing vitamins," explained Dr. Wu.

And taking Massive doses of Vitamin E isn't the answer because that can lead to blood clotting problems.

So, women should consult their doctor about what's right for them, helping ensure a healthy pregnancy and a healthy child.

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