prenatal vitamin

A prenatal vitamin is a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement formulated for people who are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding. It is meant to supplement the diet with nutrients that are needed in larger amounts during pregnancy. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that a daily prenatal multivitamin/mineral product can help ensure adequate intake of nutrients such as folic acid, iron, iodine, and vitamin D.

The best-supported benefit is from folic acid. Government agencies and professional societies recommend folic acid before and during early pregnancy because it may help reduce the risk of neural tube defects; MedlinePlus describes folic acid as a B vitamin that may help prevent these birth defects. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements notes that prenatal multivitamin/mineral supplements can help ensure adequate intake of nutrients such as folic acid, iron, iodine, and vitamin D. The same NIH source also cautions that product quality varies and that the amounts actually delivered can differ from what a label states, so the presence of a prenatal product on the market does not guarantee it provides target doses.

According to MedlinePlus, people need about 400 mcg of folic acid per day before pregnancy and 600 mcg per day during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Pregnancy also raises needs for several other nutrients, with MedlinePlus citing 27 mg/day of iron, 1,000 mg/day of calcium (1,300 mg for pregnant teens aged 14-18), and 600 IU/day of vitamin D. Prenatal products are usually taken once daily as a tablet, capsule, gummy, or softgel. Talk with your clinician before starting any supplement, since they may recommend a specific product or separate supplements such as iodine or choline, which some prenatal multivitamins do not include.

MedlinePlus warns that getting too much of a supplement can be harmful — for instance, it notes that very high levels of vitamin A can cause birth defects — and it advises taking only the vitamins and mineral supplements that your health care provider recommends. Partly for this reason, many prenatal products are commonly formulated with vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Always check with your provider before you start or stop any supplement or medicine during pregnancy.

The government consumer sources reviewed here do not provide a specific list of side effects for prenatal multivitamins. As a general principle, MedlinePlus notes that taking more of a supplement than recommended can be harmful, so doses above what your clinician advises should be avoided. Report any reactions or concerns to your health care provider.

The consumer pages reviewed here focus on appropriate dosing rather than on specific drug interactions, but they emphasize that excessive intake of certain nutrients (notably vitamin A) can be harmful in pregnancy. Because a prenatal vitamin adds to the nutrients already coming from your diet and from any other supplements or medicines, tell your clinician about everything you take so that your total intake stays within safe limits.