Surprisingly, perhaps the most important time to take prenatal vitamins is before you even get pregnant. We recommend that our patients start a comprehensive prenatal vitamin formula – or at least take the proper amount of folic acid – two to three months before they try to conceive. Luckily, many cereals are fortified with folic acid and it is found in its natural form, metafolin, in orange juicy, spinach, asparagus, and pinto beans. An average American diet provides 200 to 250 micrograms of folic acid daily. However, because the recommended amount of folic acid in pregnancy is 600 micrograms, woman of child-bearing age should add a multivitamin or prenatal vitamin to their regimen. Most multivitamins contain 400 micrograms (1000 micrograms is equivalent to 1 milligram).
Low levels of folic acid are linked to the development of birth defects such as neural tube defects and cleft lip and palate. Spina bifida, a NTD, results from the incomplete closure of the babys spine, or neural tube, which occurs during the fourth week after conception.Quite often, woman don`t even know that they`re pregnant at that time. Affecting one to two babies per thousand, spina bifida causes paralysis and deformities of the legs. Similarly, folic acid plays a role in facial development, and woman with low levels have a higher risk of having a baby with cleft lip and palate, which accurs in one in seven hundred infants. Neural tube defects and cleft lip and palate are birth defects a mom-to-be can help prevent. Consuming the correct amount of folic acid prior to pregnancy and during the first trimester decreases the incidence of these birth defects by 75 percent.
Some new prenatal vitamins and supplements contain the natural, active form of folic acid, metafolin. Folic acid is synthetic and must be broken down by enzymes in the body to be active , but metafolic does not require these metabolic steps. About half the population has an enzyme deficiency that limits the ability to metabolize folate. A blood test can be performed to see whether a patient has an abnormality in the gene that metabolizes folic acid. Foer these woman, metafolin is a better choice.
The other ingredients in prenatal vitamins are similar to a general multivitamin: B-complex vitamins, vitamins C,D and E, and the minerals zinc,iron, calcium, and copper. Some also contain a stool softener and DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid. The brand that you see is a personal decision. The variety on the market now is impressive: you can find chewable vitamins, vanilla-vlavoured vitamins, two small pills versus ona large pill, and some with ingredients to alleviate nausea. We recommend finding something that doesent make you nauseous, is easy to swallow, and tastes good.
If youre already pregnant and didn`t load up on prenatal vitamins, relax. Remember, at least 50 percent of pregnancies are unplanned and everything still turns out fine because most woman get the vitamins they need through their diet. But if you have the opportunity to plan and start prenatal vitamins in advance, you can increase the chances of having a healthy baby.
