Nutrient supplements and nausea studyPrevalence of morbidity symptoms among pregnant and postpartum women receiving different nutrient supplements in Ghana and Malawi: A secondary outcome analysis of two randomised controlled trials.
Nausea linked to folate usage
We observed the effects of various nutrient supplements, including folate, on nausea in pregnant and postpartum women in Ghana and Malawi. Participants in our study were given different types of supplements, with some receiving iron and folic acid, while others received multiple micronutrients or small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements.
Throughout the study, which followed the women from early pregnancy to six months postpartum, we monitored symptoms like nausea and vomiting among the groups. Interestingly, we found that the overall prevalence of vomiting was lower in the group receiving lipid-based nutrient supplements compared to those taking multiple micronutrients. However, the mean number of days women experienced nausea was higher in those taking lipid-based nutrients and multiple micronutrients compared to the iron and folic acid group.
Importantly, while we gained insights into how nutrition affects maternal health, we did not find strong evidence that the type of nutrient supplements consistently influenced nausea during pregnancy or the postpartum period. This suggests that folate’s effects on nausea may not be significant in isolation or within the context of the supplements studied.
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