Yes and no. Most prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements on the market contain gelatin, although sometimes it is not specified in the list of ingredients. Only a few prenatal supplement brands are gelatin-free, including PregVit®.
Muslims are not allowed to eat pork in any form whatsoever. The composition of vitamin and mineral supplements is subject to this rule.
Without a “gelatin” mention, it is unclear whether there is any and, if necessary, to know its origin. If it is of animal origin, it may come from cattle, pork or fish.
The presence of gelatin appears on the ingredient list of Materna® prenatal supplements. As the origin of it is not specified, most Muslim pregnant women refuse to take it.
There are other prenatal vitamin and minerals that have no gelatin, said to be vegan or vegetarian, but they are often not adequate to help meet the nutritional needs of the mother.
