The importance of prenatal vitamins – and a give away

There are a few pieces of advice that pregnant women hear again and again when they’re planning on becoming pregnant and while they are pregnant. One of those bits of advice is very important, and that is that they need to take prenatal vitamins faithfully, and the earlier they start (meaning before pregnancy), the better.

Prenatal vitamins are different from the regular multivitamins you may be used to taking and that’s because there is a large emphasis on certain vitamins in the prenatal versions.

For example, folic acid is a very important because it helps reduce the chances of developing neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. You can get good amounts of folic acid from foods, such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, and citrus fruits, but many people don’t get the right amounts, even if they are eating well.

Now, on top of the more commonly known vitamins and minerals that are recommended, more and more experts are recommending that pregnant and nursing women ensure that they’re taking DHA – Omega 3, commonly found in fish oils.

According to statistics provided to me by Life Fitness, manufacturer of Life’s DHA Prenatal Vitamin and DHA 2-step program, “pregnant and nursing women in the U.S. on average only consume 52mg of DHA per day; about 25 percent of the recommended daily 200 mg intake. DHA is also not found in most prenatal vitamins.”

A survey of recent moms and moms-to-be showed these results:

- 50% of the women surveyed did not know about the need for DHA, a critical nutrient for the healthy development of a baby

- 68% said their doctor did not tell them about DHA

- 72% said they had no idea how to get DHA into their diets

- 17% said they were aware that fish is a source of DHA

- 92% were interested in including DHA in the diet once they were advised of its benefits

According to Nordic Naturals, manufacturer of Prenatal DHA, from purified fish oil, “pregnant women in the U.S. have the third lowest blood levels of DHA in the world just above women from Sudan and vegans.”

DHA is found in cold water fish, such as tuna, salmon and mackerel. It is also available from organ meats, like liver. Humans can’t produce omega-3s and must take it in through food or supplements.

A WebMD article states, “DHA is important for the developing brain, which accumulates large amounts of it during the first two years of life. Compared to the rest of the body, the brain and nervous system contains very high levels of DHA but its exact role in the brain is not fully known.

Information from Nordic Naturals states:

Scientific research is showing us just how important these fats are for pre and post natal development. Take a look at these findings:

*Maternal DHA supplementation resulted in improved eye-hand coordination at 2.5 years of age and improved attention skills at 5 years.

*Infants whose mothers had higher blood DHA levels showed better sleep patterns

*Children of women who took cod liver oil during pregnancy and while nursing had higher IQs at age 4 than children of the mothers that received a placebo

*Mothers who supplement with fish oils are more likely to give birth to full term babies and have healthier birth weights

* When mothers took cod liver oil during pregnancy, their offspring had a lower risk of diabetes

*Women who do not have sufficient supplies of Omega-3s while pregnant are at greater risk for postpartum depression.

And Life Fitness information adds:

Women who are breastfeeding: The need for DHA remains critical for your new baby through 2 years of age as she continues to develop. After delivery, a mother’s level of DHA can remain low as breastfeeding transmits her reserves of DHA to the breast milk for baby.

International recommendations suggest a minimum daily intake of 300 mg of DHA when pregnant and nursing.
Life Fitness found that only 31 percent of women ages 18 and over believed that they clearly understood which vitamins and nutrients are important to prenatal healthcare.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CONTEST IS NOW OVER.

Now, the fun part.

Both companies, Life Fitness and Nordic Naturals have given me samples of their products to give to Womb Within visitors. The Life Fitness sample includes 60 tablets of multivitamins and 60 soft gels with 200 mg/DHA, with a retail value of 34.99, and the Nordic Naturals sample is of 90 soft gels with 500 mg. high concentration fish oil.

I have four samples to give so between today and 11:59 PM EST July 23, if you would like to win a sample, answer the poll to the right asking you why you visit Womb Within and then leave a message in the comment section that you answered and what the answer was. It would be great if you could comment on what you know about vitamins and pregnancy as well.

Please only enter if you can use these samples or you will give them to someone who will. I’d hate for them to go to waste just for the sake of being won.

If you want to purchase the Life Fitness vitamins, they are exclusively available at CVS pharmacies and www.cvs.com.

After the contest ends, I will randomize the entries and choose four winners, so be sure that I can contact you. I still can’t contact the winner of the Seventh Generation Cleaning products and will be drawing a new winner shortly.
Good luck!