Even with a diet rich in folate, women of childbearing age are not getting the amount of folic acid they need to reduce the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida by up to 70 percent. That is why taking a daily multivitamin containing a minimum of 0.4 mg of folic acid – and more for high-risk women – is so important.

To quote the Public Health Agency of Canada:

“All women who could become pregnant should take a multivitamin containing 0.4 mg of folic acid every day. To help reduce the risk of NTDs, you should start taking the vitamin supplement at least three months before you get pregnant and continue through the first three months of your pregnancy. Talk to your health professional to find the supplement best for you.”

Prenatal and other multivitamins containing folic acid have been shown to have a number of other benefits including helping to:

• reduce the risk of some cancers,
• prevent low birth weight and prematurity,
• prevent iron deficiency anemia,
• prevent vitamin D deficiency, and
• support bone, breast and urinary tract health.

If you’re a woman of childbearing age,
start taking a multivitamin containing folic acid TODAY!

If you’re not, tell every woman of childbearing age you know how important it is take a multivitamin containing folic acid for their own health and the health of their babies, should they get pregnant.

It's simple, inexpensive and takes only seconds a day – less time than brushing your teeth  – yet it can make all the difference between
having a healthy baby or a baby with a neural tube defect.

Folic Acid: It’s never too early …

Tell every woman you know!

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Help give your baby a healthy start

Whether you’re pregnant or planning to be, this is a very exciting and special time in your life. The last thing you need to be worrying about is the possibility of neural tube defects. The unfortunate fact, though, is that all women are at risk for having babies with neural tube defects like Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus – serious birth defects that consist of abnormalities in the baby’s brain, skull or spine.¹

One of the best things you can do before and during your pregnancy is to take a well-rounded prenatal multivitamin – preferably one with plenty of Folic Acid, like Nature’s Bounty Prenatal Multi. It includes 800 mcg of Folic Acid to help reduce the risk of neural tube defects, plus a variety of important nutrients, all in one comprehensive formula. It even has the important Omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which helps support cognitive health and brain function.²

Taking a Folic Acid supplement prior to becoming pregnant and during early pregnancy can help decrease the risk of neural tube defects. It’s important to remember that women who are pregnant and breastfeeding require extra folic acid on a daily basis.³ Talk to your health care provider about the best way to incorporate plenty of Folic Acid into your daily diet.
 

¹ Health Canada. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/med/folic-folique-eng.php. Accessed November 2011.
² Health Canada. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/nutrition/omega3-eng.php. Accessed December 2011
³ Health Canada. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/nutrition/folate-eng.php. Accessed November 2011.