Washington, D.C., February 27, 2019—In response to a new study, “Association of Maternal Prenatal Vitamin Use with Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder Recurrence in Young Siblings,” published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, issued the following statement:
Statement by Andrea Wong, Ph.D., vice president, scientific & regulatory affairs, CRN:
“CRN welcomes the conclusions of this new study for underscoring the importance of proper nutrition before and during pregnancy. These findings give further support for the role that proper nutrition, including supplementation with prenatal vitamins, has for healthy pregnancies and healthy babies.
Folic acid, found in most prenatal vitamins in the U.S., is an essential nutrient proven to prevent birth defects, which is why the U.S. government along with other authoritative bodies on public health—the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics—recommend women of childbearing age supplement with folic acid. Additional nutrients—iodine, choline, omega-3 fatty acids and iron—are also vital to the health and wellbeing of mother and baby, and can be obtained through supplementation if there are shortfalls in the diet.
Research, like the findings released today, highlights the value of prenatal supplements. OB/GYNs are partners in good health, and CRN encourages women who are thinking of becoming pregnant to open up a dialogue with their doctors about their daily nutrient intake through both food and dietary supplements.”
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 150+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org. Follow us on Twitter @CRN_Supplements, Facebook, and LinkedIn.