The period prior to conception and the first eight weeks of pregnancy – before you may even realise you’re expecting – are critical for your baby’s healthy development.
Research has shown that key nutrients, like folate and iron, are essential for a healthy pregnancy. During the gestation period, your baby’s vital organs and nervous system are developing rapidly, so taking a scientifically formulated prenatal supplement lays a strong foundation to support healthy growth and function in utero and beyond.
Supports Pregnancy
Folate
- In an Australian cohort study, 19-46% of women did not meet the recommended daily intake for folate, highlighting the need for supplementation where diet does not provide adequate nutrients (Livock et al 2017).
- It is recommend to take 500 micrograms per day folic acid, from 12 weeks before conception and throughout the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
- In addition to supporting neural tube development for unborn babies, folate is also essential for the health of the pregnant mother. Folate is involved with DNA methylation (a process related to gene expression) and supports red blood cell formation.
- Up to one-third of women might not be able to use folic acid efficiently, which means some women may not be getting as much folate through supplementation as they thought. To ensure you’re getting adequate folate, our Prenatal Plus has been formulated with the active form of folic acid, methylfoalte. This bioavailable form of folic acid is better absorbed and utilised by your body.
- Not all folate derivatives are equally efficacious in treating folate deficiency, especially when measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) due to the genetic predisposition in certain individuals. Levomefolate is already in its active form, so the body doesn’t need to convert it further. This makes it especially beneficial for people with genetic variations (e.g., MTHFR mutation) that reduce their ability to process folic acid (Siu Kei Lam et al. 2022).
Choline
- Choline is particularly critical during pregnancy due to its multifaceted contributions to maternal and foetal health.
- The impact of choline begins very early in pregnancy, potentially before the mother is aware of her condition. This underscores the necessity for adequate choline intake before and during the initial stages of pregnancy.
- Choline's influence extends beyond the development of the neural tube; it also contributes to the formation of the foetal brain and the establishment of neural connections.
- Research indicates that choline intake during pregnancy may have enduring effects on the cognitive function, memory, and behaviour of the offspring (Jaiswal et al. 2023).
Iron
- During pregnancy, the body requires extra iron to support the growing blood supply and fetoplacental development (Alwan & Hamamy 2015).
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements. Folate - Health Professional Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health. Published April 26, 2023. Accessed November 13, 2024. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/
- Livock, M., Anderson, P. J., Lewis, S., Bowden, S., Muggli, E., & Halliday, J. (2017). Maternal micronutrient consumption periconceptionally and during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study. Public health nutrition, 20(2), 294–304. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980016002019
- Nelson Siu Kei Lam, Xin Xin Long, Xuegang Li, Mirette Saad, Florence Lim, James CG Doery, Robert C. Griffin, Cherrie Galletly, 2022. "The potential use of folate and its derivatives in treating psychiatric disorders: A systematic review", Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Volume 146, 2022,112541, ISSN 0753-3322, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112541
- Jaiswal A, Dewani D, Reddy LS, Patel A. (2023). "Choline Supplementation in Pregnancy: Current Evidence and Implications". Cureus. 15(11):e48538. Published 2023 Nov 8. doi:10.7759/cureus.48538
- Alwan NA, Hamamy H. (2015). "Maternal Iron Status in Pregnancy and Long-Term Health Outcomes in the Offspring". J Pediatr Genet. 4(2):111-123. doi:10.1055/s-0035-1556742
