Medication prescribed by doctors during pregnancy is meant to help both the growth and development of the baby. Discontinuing or skipping the medication can prove to be harmful for both the mother and the child.
Each and every medicine prescribed prior and during pregnancy has its own benefit, researchers from the Division of Women's Health at King's College London, who reviewed the role of vitamin supplementation in pregnancy, reveal.
"Vitamins are an essential part of a healthy diet," co-author of the review, Dr. Lucy Chappell, Senior Lecturer in Maternal and Fetal Medicine at King's College, said in a news release.
Following are some abstracts from the review:
Folic Acid - Experts recommend women to take folic acid regularly before and after conception. The recommended level is 400 micrograms a day. It has the power to prevent a wide range of birth defects, particularly some neural tube defects. But the researchers found that only a minority of women taking the supplements.
Vitamins - Though vitamin A and B are not recommended during pregnancy, the researchers recommend a multivitamin with low doses of vitamins C and E.
Vitamin D is essential during pregnancy. A severe vitamin D deficiency can lead to infantile rickets and sufficient intake can reduce childhood wheezing and type 1diabetes in children. Investigators recommend women with vitamin D deficiency and obese women to take 10 micrograms per day to solve the problem.
The review has been published in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (TOG).
"It is important for all women to eat a healthy diet; however, for women trying for a baby and during early pregnancy, some supplementation can be beneficial. Folic acid supplementation is recommended and vitamin D is now recommended by the Chief Medical Officers in the UK for all pregnant women to ensure the mother's requirements are met. It is important that women are aware of their diet and eat a range of foods alongside keeping active and leading a healthy lifestyle." Jason Waugh, the journal's editor-in-chief, said in a statement.
Earlier studies related to folic acid have found the supplement beneficial to prevent autism and rare childhood cancers. Ignoring folic acid medication early pregnancy was found resulting in babies with birth defects like Cleft Lip and Palate (CPL). Folic acid and vitamin deficiency are also found increasing the risk of having a baby with anencephaly. Anencephaly is one of the most common neural tube defects (NTD) in which a baby is born without the major portion of brain, skull and scalp.
