Should Men Take Prenatal Vitamins?

Abstract

Congenital abnormalities are the leading cause of infant mortalities in the United States (25%) and across the world [1]. Public health interventions have included reducing maternal disease, prenatal care of mothers, reduction of exposure to teratogens (agent that can disturb the development of an embryo or fetus), and nutritional interventions [2]. Potentially the most significant nutritional intervention has been the prenatal supplementation of folate, which has been shown to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects [3], limb malformations, urogenital abnormalities, cardiovascular malformations [4], and cleft lip or palate [5].