Prenatal Vitamins

Prenatal vitamins are specially formulated multivitamins that are taken during pregnancy. These will make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the mother's diet during pregnancy. Folic acid, iron and calcium are especially important for the development of the child in the womb.

Folic acid can reduce the risk of having a baby with neural tube defect (a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal cord). The baby may be born with a lump at the back and the spine is not closed. (spina bifida). The exposed nerves are damaged, leaving the child with varying degrees of paralysis, incontinence, and sometimes mental retardation. There are natural sources of folic acid: green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, and oranges.

Calcium during pregnancy can prevent the mother from losing her calcium in her own bone as the fetus uses the mineral for bone growth.

Iron improves the concentration of the red pigment (Hemoglobin) in the blood thereby helping both the mother and baby's blood to carry oxygen.

While a daily vitamin supplement is no substitute for a healthy diet, most women need supplements to make sure they get adequate levels of these minerals. The prenatal supplement should contain the following:

(*) IU = international units