Important Prenatal Vitamins to Take: Folic Acid, Iron and Vitamin A
One of the most important events in a woman‘s life is getting pregnant. When a woman gets pregnant, the feeling of thrill and excitement is there. Hence, pregnancy is something to look forward to. But in spite of these feelings, there are still many questions that bother pregnant women like, “Is taking medicine dangerous for pregnant women?” “Does it have any side effects?” “Is it always recommended to take prenatal vitamins?”
Many experts found out that women who are taking prenatal vitamins are healthier. It also was found to have the same effect on the unborn child. And if you are thinking that eating the right kinds of foods will suffice, think twice.
Many fertility experts recommend that if possible, pregnant women should not limit themselves in eating foods only. It is also advised that women should take prenatal vitamins. This is not to replace the nutrients, but instead, supplement the other nutrients present inside the body.
Folic acid is one of the most important prenatal vitamin a pregnant woman has to take. This vitamin,which is a member of the B family helps for a strong pregnancy and healthy fetal development. This vitamin is important is reducing the risk of birth and neural tube defects. Example of a neural tube defect is spina bifida which is the most common. It is then recommended that women should take folic acid even before pregnancy. The required folic acid intake is 200 micrograms (mcg).
In 1991, MRC Vitamin Study Research Group found out that deficiencies in folic acid were associated with low birth weight and increased number of neural tube defects. A separate study in 1996 also reported that folic acid can help in the prevention of defects in the neural tube, urinary tract and cardiovascular parts.
Iron is another important prenatal vitamin for pregnant women. Iron helps in the transport of oxygen in pregnant women as well as to the unborn child. It also improves the growth of the child thus making the child healthier.
The third recommended prenatal vitamin is Vitamin A. Again, Vitamin A is important for healthy embryonic development, cellular and tissue growth. It also helps in the development of other parts in the body such as our eyes, hearts, skin and our mucous membranes. More importantly, Vitamin A helps us fight infections and repair damaged tissues. It also helps with lactation to replace that lost in breastfeeding.
What is good in taking prenatal vitamins is not only in helping you when you were pregnant but also in providing a healthy life to your child.
Tags: folic acid, iron, pregnancy, Pregnant Women, prenatal vitamins, vitamin A, vitamins, women
This entry was posted on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 2:09 pm and is filed under pregnancy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.