Prenatal vitamins are widely recommended before and during pregnancy. But Consumer Reports’ latest tests found widespread differences between what prenatal vitamin labels promised and what the products actually contained.
Nearly all 17 prenatal supplements CR tested had at least one nutrient at a level that greatly differed from the label. Across 126 nutrient measurements, 32 percent fell outside widely accepted ranges for label accuracy.
Vitamin B9 (folic acid/folate) was a particular concern. Nearly half of the gummy prenatals we tested had less folic acid/folate than expected based on their labels. Adequate folic acid before conception and during early pregnancy is important for reducing the risk of neural tube defects.
Yet there is no regulated U.S. definition of what a prenatal vitamin must contain, and these supplements can be sold without FDA premarket approval for safety or effectiveness.
It’s time for stronger federal oversight. Tell the FDA to establish meaningful standards for prenatal vitamins, ensure labels accurately reflect what’s inside, and hold manufacturers accountable.
Petition to the FDA:
We call on the Food and Drug Administration to strengthen oversight of prenatal vitamins and establish enforceable standards to ensure these products contain the nutrients and amounts stated on their labels and remain within safe levels throughout their shelf lives.
Consumer Reports’ testing of 17 prenatal vitamins found widespread discrepancies between product labels and tested nutrient levels. Across 126 nutrient measurements, 32 percent fell outside widely accepted ranges for label accuracy, and nearly half of the gummy prenatals tested had lower levels of folic acid/folate than expected based on their labels.
Prenatal vitamins are used during a critical period of development, yet there is no federal standard specifying what nutrients and amounts these products should contain.
Consumers and healthcare providers should be able to trust the label. The FDA should establish and enforce strong standards for prenatal vitamins, require greater transparency and accountability from manufacturers, and ensure these products contain what they claim at safe levels throughout their shelf lives.