Maintaining your own health during pregnancy and ensuring the health of your baby is taxing on your body. There are specific vitamins required for optimal prenatal care to ensure reduced risk of birth defects and negative impacts on your health. A prescription or over-the-counter multivitamin is perhaps the best way to consume said vitamins on a daily basis. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the actual preventive effects experienced by women taking prenatal multivitamins and how much of these your body needs. The bottom line, however, is to discuss with your OB/GYN what medications are right for you and your individual health needs.
Reduced Risk of Low Birth Weight
Research published in the June 2009 "Canadian Medical Association Journal" has indicated that taking a prenatal multivitamin may protect against low birth weight more so than merely taking a folic acid supplement prior to and during pregnancy. Low birth weight occurs in 15.5 percent of all babies born on an annual basis worldwide, and can lead to increased need for neonatal care, reduced immune responses and lower overall health levels.
Reduced Risk of Pre-eclampsia
However, pregnant women should be wary of taking too many vitamins as well. In 2006, Daily News Central reported that a study in the "New England Journal of Medicine" found that further supplementing prenatal multivitamins with extra vitamin C and E may not reduce the chances of developing pre-eclampsia in otherwise healthy pregnant women as previously thought. Pre-eclampsia is pregnancy-induced hypertension that can threaten both mother and baby's health. In the study, the babies who survived the pre-eclampsia were also more likely to suffer from low birth weights.
Reduced Risk of Neural Tube Defects
Along with possibly preventing low birth weights, multivitamins that come packed with folic acid can reduce the risk of neural tube defects by 70 percent if taken prior to conception and in early pregnancy, according to KidsHealth. Spina bifida, encephalocele and anencephaly are all spinal cord and brain development disorders that can be reduced with proper folic acid supplementation.
Keeping Mother Healthy
A multivitamin should also contain enough calcium and iron to keep both mother and child healthy. During pregnancy, if you do not get enough calcium to build your baby's bones and tissues, your body will use that which is already stored in your own, explains the March of Dimes. Essentially, your body will first take care of your baby's needs before your own. This can lead to osteoporosis later in life, where bones lose density and are more prone to breaking. In addition, your multivitamin should contain extra iron to prevent anemia and aid in building muscles.
References
- Daily News Central: Supplementing Multivitamins May Be Mistake During Pregnancy
- Mayo Clinic: Preeclampsia
- KidsHealth: Folic Acid and Pregnancy
- Canadian Medical Association Journal; Multivitamins in pregnancy reduce risk of low birth weights; Kim Barnhardt; 8-Jun-2009
- March of Dimes: Eating and Nutrition/ Vitamins and minerals during pregnancy
