Clinical Study Title:
Maternal fever, multivitamin use, and selected birth defects: evidence of interaction?

Plain English Summary:

This study looked specifically at the effect that a multivitamin has on a febrile illness related birth defect, which can also lead to some types of cancer. Several cases of birth defects in babies were studied and categorized based on the use of a multivitamin or not and then the presence of febrile illness or not. Those cases with both febrile illness and no multivitamin use had the highest risk of these birth defects. The combined multivitamin use and febrile illness had less risk of birth defects. Thus, the use of a multivitamin is associated with a decreased risk of birth defects, especially when febrile illness is present.

Authors

Botto LD. Erickson JD. Mulinare J. Lynberg MC. Liu Y.

Institution

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.

Country of Publication

United States

Source

Epidemiology. 13(4):485-8, 2002 Jul.