Prenatals

Pregnant women need to take Pre-natal Vitamins. These are specially formulated multivitamins that make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the mother's diet. While the supplements contain numerous vitamins and minerals, their folic acid, iron, and calcium content are especially important.

Pregnant women need folic acid, iron and calcium, folic acid can reduce your risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal cord, called the ‘neural tube.’ A baby with spina bifida, the most common neural tube defect, is born with a spine that is not closed. The exposed nerves are damaged, leaving the child with varying degrees of paralysis, incontinence, and sometimes mental retardation. Studies have shown that taking a larger dose (up to 4,000 micrograms) at least one month before and during the first trimester may be beneficial.

Calcium during pregnancy can prevent a new mother from losing her own bone density, as the foetus uses the mineral for bone growth. Iron can help with both the mother and baby's blood to carry oxygen.

There are natural sources of folic acid: such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, and citrus fruits. It is also found in many fortified breakfast cereals and some vitamin supplements.

Pre-natals are not a substitute for a healthy diet, but most women need pre-natals to make sure they get adequate levels of these minerals.

Information from webmd