Prenatal Vitamins: What You Should Know
The best way to meet your nutritional needs is through a healthy, balanced diet. However, you may still be missing some key nutrients. Prenatal vitamins help to ensure pregnant women get the extra vitamins and minerals needed for the development of a healthy baby. They also help to meet your nutritional needs when trying to conceive and while breastfeeding. Prenatal vitamins provide the same nutrients as standard multivitamins with extra folic acid and iron. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps to prevent neural tube defects – abnormalities of the brain and spinal cord. There is also evidence that supplemental folic acid during pregnancy may also lower the risk of other abnormalities like cleft lip and palate and heart defects. Taking folic acid may also decrease risk factors for preeclampsia. Iron is a mineral and is often deficient in the diet. Supplemental iron aids in the production of hemoglobin, prevents anemia and decreases the risk of low birth...