Prenatal vitamins contain vital nutrients that a developing baby needs to grow and thrive. Although they should not replace a healthy diet during pregnancy, prenatal vitamins can serve as additional assurance that no deficiencies in either mother or baby will develop during the nine-month gestation. Prenatal vitamins can be purchased over the counter, but pregnant women may want to consult their doctors to help them choose among the many brands available.
Features
Prenatal vitamins differ from everyday multivitamins in that they contain higher amounts of nutrients that are especially important during pregnancy. One of the major features of prenatal vitamins is a high level of folic acid---typically more than 600 mcg. In daily amounts over 400 mcg, folic acid can help protect a developing baby by reducing the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida by up to 70 percent, according to Baby Center. Prenatal vitamins also contain high levels of iron and calcium, minerals that commonly become depleted in expectant mothers.
Benefits
According to the Mayo Clinic, mothers who take a prenatal vitamin during pregnancy may have a reduced risk of having a baby with low birth weight. Prenatal vitamins also ensure that a baby will get the vitamins and minerals necessary to build healthy bones, teeth, eyes, brain and other organs. Because a pregnant woman's body will take nutrients from her own system and give them to the baby, a prenatal vitamin can also help prevent deficiencies in mothers.
Usage
Women should ideally start taking a prenatal vitamin about three months before they conceive. Starting the vitamins before pregnancy begins allows the nutrients to build up in a woman's system and be present before a growing fetus begins to need them. Some nutrients, particularly folic acid, are most important in the first few weeks of development, before a woman may be aware that she is pregnant. Women can take prenatal vitamins any time of day, with or without food.
Options
Many supplement companies produce prenatal vitamins, but not all are created equal. When choosing a prenatal vitamin, What to Expect recommends that women choose one that contains at least 400 mcg of folic acid and 30 mg of iron. Other nutrients to look for include iodine, vitamin B6 and zinc. Vitamin A should be primarily in the form of beta-carotene, a precursor molecule that the body converts into vitamin A. Pure vitamin A can be toxic to a developing fetus when taken in high doses over 5,000 IU.
Considerations
Some nutrients are excluded from prenatal vitamins, and pregnant women may want to take them as additional supplements. For example, although the levels of calcium in prenatal vitamins are higher than those in standard multivitamins, women may need additional calcium to meet the daily recommendation of approximately 1,000 mg. Prenatal vitamins usually don't contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. Women who do not consume fish or shellfish at least twice a week may want to take a supplement containing omega-3s.
