Know Your Nutrients: Prenatal Supplements

by Amanda Hawkinson

It is important for pregnant and breastfeeding women to meet the needs of a growing baby without sacrificing the vitamins, minerals and nutrients their own bodies require. That is where prenatal supplements come in.

Prenatal supplements are multivitamins formulated to deliver the necessary nutrients needed by mother and child and support healthy nervous and immune systems, enhance bone health and maintain energy.

Specific nutrients found in prenatal supplements are as follows:

Folic acid (Folate): Helps prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. It may also protect the pregnant woman against cancer and stroke.

Iron: Helps the muscles in both mother and baby develop and helps prevent anemia, a condition in which a woman’s red blood cells are too small and too few. It also lowers the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.

Calcium: Helps the nervous, muscular and circulatory systems stay healthy. Not having enough calcium in the bones can cause serious health conditions later in life, such as osteoporosis.

The Riordan Clinic physicians recommend PreNatal Multi-Nutrients by Vital Nutrients, which can be found in our supplement store and online.