• 25 to 50% less risk of orafacial defects
• Only 15% of average risk of congenital urinary tract anomaly
• 43% lower risk of conotruncal defects
• 30 to 35% lower risk of conotruncal (heart) or limb defects
• 17% reduction in congenital abnormalities and neural tube defects
For a healthy pregnancy, the importance of good nutrition cannot be over-estimated. Increasingly, clinical studies are showing that an appropriate multivitamin supplement can be beneficial in promoting the desired outcome for both mother and baby.
Nurture Pregnancy Multivitamins are just such a vitamin supplement. They're made specifically for women to take before conception and throughout their pregnancy. Their safe formulation is based on the best available nutritional knowledge. So they have everything a new mother needs to help reduce the risks of a number of serious birth defects.
Nurture Pregnancy Multivitamins have the following unique benefits:
A daily dosage of 500mcg of folate (or folic acid), which provides more protection than any other such product.
A combination of vitamins and minerals formulated specifically for pregnancy. (Nutritional requirements for pregnancy differ from those of breastfeeding. Other multivitamins are available as combination pregnancy/breast-feeding product.)
The inclusion of Vitamin D3, which is essential in the body's ability to use calcium effectively.
The correct balance and ratio of vitamins and minerals as recommended for pregnancy by Australian health authorities.
No herbs or oils are included in our formulation (some herbs can be unsafe and oils may contribute to mild stomach upset such as reflux and dyspepsia).
A pharmacy-only product (you'll be able to get professional advice about your nutritional and health queries during this important time).
Why should I consider taking Nurture Pregnancy Multivitamins during pregnancy and how can they help my baby?
A recent nutritional survey of pregnant women in Australia revealed that folate and zinc intake from their normal diet was inadequate in 96% of cases. Calcium intake was inadequate in 79% of participants. The study has shown that the nutritional needs of pregnant women in Australia are not adequately met through diet alone. The use of multivitamins is therefore appropriate and, in fact, is very common in other countries such as the USA (where more than 80% of pregnant women take pre-natal multivitamins).
Increasingly, medical research is demonstrating that vitamins have a significant positive impact on infant health and development. The best-documented example is the link between folate deficiency and neural tube defects (NTD), which can result in severe deformities of the brain and spinal cord. This link is so well established that governments around the world have implemented campaigns aimed at educating women to ensure adequate intake of dietary folate, as found in green vegetables and supplements.
Why do Nurture Pregnancy Multivitamins offer more protection than folate alone?
Recent clinical research suggests that during pregnancy, the use of a multivitamin that includes folate is associated with a reduction of all birth abnormalities by about 42%. Other studies have also found that women taking multivitamins during pregnancy can increase protection and reduce the risk of their baby's developing birth defects of the:
Heart
Face and mouth
Limbs
Urinary tract
Studies have also found that the babies of women who take multivitamins in early pregnancy have a lower incidence of premature birth and low birth-weight. Taking Nurture Pregnancy Multivitamins, which contain a daily supply of 500mcg of folate and 18 vitamins and minerals, can therefore offer more protection for both mother and baby than taking folate alone.
What role do the individual vitamins in the Nurture range play in the development of a healthy baby?
Fat soluble vitamins:
Vitamin A is an essential vitamin, which assists in the development of your baby's eyes, bones, teeth, skin and the immune system as well as internal organs. But vitamin A in very large doses can be harmful. It is therefore safer to take Nurture Pregnancy because it contains betacarotene, which can be converted to Vitamin A as needed by the body. It also assists in the production of red blood cells in both mother and baby.
Vitamin D is essential for metabolising phosphorous and calcium. It is also important in assisting the development of bones and teeth.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects cells from damage. It also assists in the development of muscle cells, blood cells and other tissues. Studies have suggested that a deficiency of antioxidants during pregnancy can be linked to the development of pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy).
Water soluble vitamins:
Vitamin C assists in the development and maintenance of collagen, the protein the body uses to connect cells and bind bones, teeth, tendons, skins and blood vessel walls. It also increases the absorption of iron needed to carry oxygen in the blood during pregnancy and thereby protects against anemia.
B group vitamins - especially B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyroxidine), niacin (nicotinamide) and biotin - work together to assist with muscle and nerve development as well as with energy production and a baby's general growth. They can also assist a mother's circulation to ensure more efficient delivery of nutrients to her baby.
Vitamin B6 is essential for producing hormones and forming pigments such as haemoglobin as well as body tissues from the brain to the nervous system. Vitamin B6 is also vital for the production of enzymes, which assist in regulating red blood cells, the nervous system and chemical processes in the body.
Which minerals in Nurture Pregnancy Multivitamins are important during pregnancy?
Calcium is vital in the development of your baby's skeleton and teeth. It also assists in regulating muscle and nerve functions. By including additional calcium in your diet, the risk of developing pregnancy-induced high blood pressure can be reduced.
Iron is required in greater quantities than usual when you are pregnant. Because your blood volume increases during pregnancy, so does your need for this mineral. As it is the body's oxygen carrier, insufficient iron intake can result in lethargy. Lack of iron will also prevent adequate production of haemoglobin, which can lead to anemia.
Zinc is particularly important in assisting conception and therefore essential from the very beginning of pregnancy. Its benefits in assisting protein synthesis and collagen formation as well as maintaining normal tissue growth are well documented.
Magnesium is required for energy metabolism, blood-sugar regulation and the transmission of signals between nerve cells. In combination with calcium, magnesium regulates muscle contraction and relaxation.
Is it safe to take just "any" multivitamins during pregnancy?
No! Many general multivitamin supplements contain unsafe levels of vitamin A, which can be harmful to your baby. They're also unlikely to have enough folate. The combination and levels of other vitamins and minerals may also be inappropriate for pregnancy. It is therefore advisable to use Nurture Pregnancy Multivitamins, which have been specifically formulated with safety in mind using only ingredients approved for pregnancy.
When is the best time to start taking Nurture Pregnancy Multivitamins?
To protect your baby from neural tube defects, it is particularly important to have an adequate intake of folate before you become pregnant. Taking Nurture Pregnancy daily for at least one month prior to conception is a sensible way to protect your baby in the vital earliest stages of development.
For how long should I take Nurture Pregnancy Multivitamins?
Medical research suggests that taking multivitamins throughout pregnancy can have lasting positive effects on the health of the mother and baby. A recent study in the USA found that, compared with instances where the mother did not take vitamins, the incidence of childhood brain tumors was significantly lower when a child's mother took multivitamins throughout her pregnancy.
References:
Lancet - Orafacial defects
"Risks of orafacial clefts in children born to women using multivitamins containing folic acid periconceptionally." Shaw GM, et al. Lancet 1995 Aug 12;346(8972):393-369
The New England Journal of Medicine - Congenital Malformation and Neural Tube Defects.
"Prevention of the first occurrence of neural-tube defects by periconceptional vitamin supplementation." Czeizel AE, Dudas I. The New England Journal of Medicine 1992 Dec 24;327(26):1832-1835
The New England Journal of Medicine - Neuroectodermal Brain Tumors
"Relationship between Maternal Diet and Subsequent Primitive Neuroectodermal Brain Tumours in Young Children." Greta R. Brunin et. Al. The New England Journal of Medicine 1993 Aug 19;329(8):536-541
International Journal of Cancer - Neuroectodermal Brain Tumours
Prenatal vitamin supplementation and risk of childhood brain tumors. Preston-Martin et al. International Journal of Cancer Supplement 1998, 11:17-22
Epidemiology - Congenital Urinary Tract Deformities
"Periconceptional multivitamin use in relation to the risk of congenital urinary tract anomalies". Li DK, et al. Epidemiology 1995 May;6(3):212-218
Epidemiology - Limb Deformities
"Does periconceptional multivitamin use reduce the risk for limb deficiency in offspring?" Yang Q, et al. Epidemiology 1997 Mar;8(2):157-161
Pediatric - Conotruncal Heart Defects
"Periconceptional multivitamin use and the occurrence of conotruncal heart defects: results from a population based, case-control study." Botto LD, et al. Pediatric 1996 Nov;98(5):911-917
American Journal of Epidemiology - Preterm Delivery and Low Birth Weight
"Use of multivitamin/mineral prenatal supplements: influence on the outcome of the pregnancy" Scholl TO, et al. American Journal of Epidemiology 1997 July 15:146(2):134-141
American Journal of Medical Genetics - Conotruncal Heart and Limb Defects
"Maternal periconceptional use of multivitamins and reduced risk of conotruncal heart defects and limb deficiencies among offspring." Shaw GM, et al. American Journal of Medical Genetics 1995 Dec 4;59(4):536-545
Gesundheitswesen - Congenital Abnormalities and Neural Tube Defects
Periconceptional multivitamin administration result in reduction of congenital abnormalities: adequate evidence for formulating national recommendations for Germany?" [Article in German] Hort A, Brand H. Gesundheitswesen 1997 Apr;59(4):248-251
Australian Nutrition Survey
McLennan W, et al. National Nutrition Survey Users Guide. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1998.
