1、 Multivitamins Urged for All Pregnant WomenA recent study inTanzania found that when pregnant women took vitamins every day, fewer babieswere born too small. Babies that weigh less than two and one-half kilograms atbirth have a greater risk of dying. Those that survive are more likely toexperience problems with their development. And experts say that as adults theyhave a higher risk of diseases including heart disease and diabetes. The WorldHealth Organization1 estimates that every year twenty million babies are bornwith low birth weight. Nine out of ten of them are born in developingcountries.The new study tookplace in Dares Salaam. 4, 200 pregnant women received multivitamins. The pillscontained all of the vitamins in the B group along with2 vitamins C and E. Theyalso contained several times more iron and folate than the levels advised forwomen in developed nations. Pregnant women especially in poor countries mayfind it difficult to get enough vitamins and minerals from the foods in theirdiet.The scientistscompared the findings with results from a group of 4,000 women who did notreceive the vitamins. A report by the scientists, from the United States andTanzania, appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. 3 Wafaie Fawzi ofthe Harvard University School of Public Health4 led the study. None of thewomen in the study had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The scientists reportedearlier that daily multivitamins were a low-cost way to reduce fetal deaths inpregnant women infected with5 HIV. The earlier work in Tanzania also foundimprovement in the mothers in their number of blood cells known as lymphocytes.Lymphocytes increase the body’s immunity against infection.The new study inpregnant women who were not infected with the AIDS virus found that multivitaminsreduced the risk of low birth weight. Just under eight percent of the babiesborn to women who took the multivitamins weighed less than 2,500 grams. Therate was almost nine and one-half percent in the group of women who received aplacebo, an inactive pill, instead of the vitamins. But the vitamins did not domuch to reduce the rates of babies being born too early or dying while still afetus. Still, the researchers say multivitamins should be considered for allpregnant women in developing countries.词汇：multivitamin/7mQlti5vaitEmin/adj.多种维生素的 urge/E:dV/v.促进/v．极力主张；强烈要求；敦促pregnant/5pre^nEnt/adj．怀孕的，妊娠的Tanzania/7tAnzE5ni:E/n．坦桑尼亚(非洲国家)diabetes/7daiE5bi:ti:z, -ti:s/n．糖尿病，多尿症 Dar es Salaam/5dB:r es sE5lB:m/n．达累斯萨拉姆(坦桑尼亚首都)folate/5fEuleit/n.叶酸盐 mineral/5minErEl/n．矿物质；无机盐adj．矿物质的；无机的fetal/5fi:tl/adj.胎儿的, 胎的lymphocyte/5limfEsait/n.淋巴球, 淋巴细胞immunity/i5mju:niti/n.免疫力；免疫性infection/in5fekFEn/n．传染，感染；传染病 placebo/plE5si:bEu/n．安慰剂；安慰剂治疗inactive/in5Aktiv/adj.无作用的 pill/pil/n．药丸，丸剂fetus/5fi:tEs/n.胎，胎儿练习:
1How manybabies are born with low birth weight in the developed countries every yearaccording to WHO?
2A pill ofmultivitamins may contain all of the following substances EXCEPT
3 Which ofthe following is NOT one of the effects of multivitamins mentioned in thepassage?
4What a roledo lymphocytes play in the human body?
5How manypercent of babies were born with low birth weight to women who were notinfected with the AIDS virus and took the multivitamins according to a newstudy?
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