Prenatal
Vitamins
Prenatal Vitamins
By: Dr. George Obikoya
Pregnancy is a special event in a woman’s life.
Pregnancy and the life of the unborn child can be very precarious
for a number of reasons, not least of which is a pregnant woman
lacking vitamins.
Fifty percent of birth defects can be prevented by pregnant women
taking prenatal vitamins before pregnancy. The quantity of folic
acid required by the fetus cannot be obtained by diet alone. Think
of it as eating for two people by yourself, and you'll see why a
multivitamin is so crucial at this time. By taking vitamins as early
as three months prior to becoming pregnant, you are ensuring the
health and well being of your future baby.
The idea that prenatal vitamins help prevent certain birth defects
and of continuing them during pregnancy and breastfeeding for continued
protection from nutrition deficiencies is important, not new, and
stands to reason. A pregnant woman is actually feeding two persons,
herself and the unborn child. This clearly places the onus on her
to increase her nutritional intake and that of vitamins to keep
both of them well and healthy. The increased nutritional requirements
actually include before, during, and after pregnancy. She needs
to take multivitamin supplements particularly Iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin
A (as 100% beta-carotene), and Folic Acid during these periods,
preferably in a liquid form.
Folic Acid (part of the vitamin B family) is critical for a strong
pregnancy and healthy fetal development. Folic acid is known to
reduce the risk of birth defects like spina bifida, other neural
tube defects and other birth defects like congenital heart conditions.
Neural Tube Defects are some of the most serious, yet relatively
common birth defects. They occur when the neural tube of a fetus
does not grow properly early in pregnancy and the baby is born with
a serious birth defect. Spina bifida is the most common neural tube
defect. These congenital abnormalities can be a major source of
sorrow for the family and a threat to the very existence of the
child. Women, therefore, need to take an abundant quantity of folic
acid even before getting pregnant and certainly start very early
on in pregnancy.
In a study by MRC Vitamin Study Research Group (1991), deficiencies
of folic acid during pregnancy were associated with low birth weight
and an increased incidence of neural tube defects. Results of the
Czeizel Study (1996) showed that folic acid significantly helps
prevent neural-tube defects, urinary tract and cardiovascular defects,
in addition to a decrease in the rate of limb deficiencies and congenital
hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.
Being water-soluble, folic acid is washed out of the system and
excreted in the urine not long after taking it. This calls for a
regular and daily intake of this all-important vitamin. And because
the body's requirement for this vitamin increases during pregnancy,
it is necessary to ensure a pregnant woman takes folic acid once
a day. Folic acid can reduce the risk of neural tube defects by
as much as 80%.
Iron is another important prenatal nutritional supplement. It is
necessary for a healthy and uneventful pregnancy. Iron is the main
component of hemoglobin, the part of the blood that carries oxygen,
hence important in the transportation of oxygen around the body
of the pregnant woman and that of her unborn child. This mineral
enhances the baby’s enhances healthy growth, and helps the mother
maintain a healthy body crucial to be able to take care of the child.
Vitamin A is important for healthy embryonic development, cellular
and tissue growth. It also helps with the development of our eyes,
hearts, ears, skin and the integrity of our mucous membranes. It
helps us fight infections and repair damaged tissue. Vitamin A intake
helps with lactation to replace that lost in breastfeeding.
The goal of taking prenatal vitamins, however, is to supplement
your diet not to replace it. Indeed, prenatal vitamins work better
when you are eating a healthy diet that includes a variety of foods.
Besides, you need to take a look at the components of the prenatal
vitamins you want to buy to make sure it has Calcium in it. The
calcium level in the average prenatal vitamin is 250 mg. A pregnant
woman needs about 1,200 - 1,500 mg of calcium daily to help her
and the baby.
You should also note the amount of folic acid in
the supplement. This is because many supplements have less than
the required amounts of folic acid, which is 400 mcg a day. Every
year, approximately 2,500 babies are born with neural tube defects
in the US, and many additional neural tube defect-affected pregnancies
end in miscarriage or stillbirth.
Neural tube defects occur in the first three to four weeks following
ovulation/fertilization. It is, therefore, important for women to
make prenatal liquid multivitamins (containing folic-acid) a daily,
dietary cornerstone well before getting pregnant. To achieve a satisfactory
folic acid level it is suggested to begin folic acid supplementation
at least 1-2 months before pregnancy. Because many pregnancies are
not planned, all women of childbearing age ought to regularly take
increased amounts of folic acid on a daily basis.
Many vitamins are available by prescription and others over the
counter. It is important for you to take a multivitamin that contains
enough of what you need and absorbs into your body easily. Multivitamins
in liquid form generally enhance the absorption effect.
When trying to decide which prenatal vitamin is right for you, seek
your doctor or midwife’s opinion and look out for the amount of
calcium it has, as well as the amount of folic acid and other vitamins
it contains.
Remember that too much vitamin A can cause birth defects. Ensure
you are taking a prenatal vitamin or a multi-vitamin with under
10,000 IU of vitamin A. Also too much iron in a prenatal vitamin
will be poorly absorbed. So, check on its amount in the supplement
you plan to buy too.
A good multivitamin is the foundation of health
and nutrition. Take a look at our scientific reviews of many of
the popular brands for factors such as ingredients, areas of improvement,
quality level, and overall value. If you are looking for a high
quality liquid multivitamin, we suggest that you take a look at
the Multivitamin
Product Comparisons.
References:
Czeizel AE, Toth M, Rockenbauer M. Population-based case control
study of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. Teratology
1996; 53:345–51.
MRC Vitamin Study Research Group. Prevention of neural tube defects:
results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. Lancet 1991;338(8760):131–7.
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