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Spina Bifida & Folic Acid: What You Should Know Before You Conceive

October 15, 2017

prenatal vitamins with folic acid for spina bifida prevention

October is National Spina Bifida Awareness Month. In addition to recognizing and supporting those who have spina bifida, October is an important time to raise awareness and a general understanding of this condition, which affects more than 166,000 Americans. Because of the link between spina bifida and adequate folic acid levels during pregnancy, it’s important for women of child-bearing age to evaluate their diets and seek nutritional support.

What Is Spina Bifida?

Spina bifida is a birth defect of the spine that occurs when a baby’s spine fails to close during the first month of pregnancy. An opening can occur anywhere along the spine. Because each case is so different, how spina bifida affects cognition, mobility and body function is varied.

Treatment & Prevention

The treatment for spina bifida depends on the location and severity of the opening in the spine. Some forms do not require any treatment, while others require surgery within days of birth. Scientists have come a long way in their techniques to close the openings and give people the best lives possible. There is no cure for spina bifida.

However, there are measures that women can take to reduce the likelihood of giving birth to a child with spina bifida. Although the exact causes of spina bifida are not known, maintaining healthy levels of folate has been identified as a key factor in prevention.

Importance of Folic Acid Before Conception

Mothers who take folic acid before and during the first three months of pregnancy can reduce the risk of spina bifida in their children by up to 70 percent.1 It is recommended that women of child-bearing ago take folic acid supplements.2,3 This can play a major role in the prevention of a potentially debilitating and deadly birth defects.

Prenatal Vitamins with Folic Acid

The Prenate® Vitamin Family is a line of prenatal vitamins that is formulated specifically to meet the needs of women during pregnancy. Every Prenate® product meets or exceeds recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for daily consumption of 0.4 mg of folic acid.4 Each Prenate® vitamin contains 1 mg folate as a blend of bioavailable L-methylfolate and traditional folic acid.

Prenate® vitamins incorporate pharmaceutical grade ingredients that provide patients with the quality and purity that are important for prenatal nutritional support. Talk to your doctor to see if Prenate® is right for you.

Connect with Prenate®

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.

WARNING: Ingestion of more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) per day has been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and International Normalized Ratio (INR). Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients taking anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired predisposition to bleeding.

This site and its contents are an information resource only, and are neither intended to nor should be used in replacement of your doctor or other prescribing professional’s medical guidance, recommendations or advice. Neither this site nor its information should be used or relied upon for any diagnostic, medical, treatment, nutritional or other purpose. All aspects of pregnancy, including whether pregnancy is right for you, and the nourishment and care of your child, should be made with your doctor and other appropriate medical professional, and in consideration of your and your child’s particular medical history. Avion Pharmaceuticals, LLC (“Avion”) makes no representation, warranty or other undertaking that this site or its information are appropriate for you or your child’s specific needs or issues, and further expressly disclaims all damages, losses, injuries or liability whatsoever incurred or alleged to have been incurred in consequence of your reliance on the information on this site. Avion does not endorse any test, procedure, treatment, remedy, therapy, cure, nutritional regimen, method or other activity or undertaking that you and/or your doctor or other medical professional may elect or recommend. By visiting this site you agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that you have read and understand the same. These terms and conditions, together with any information on this site, may be amended, restated or otherwise changed from time to time and at any time by Avion within the sole, absolute and uncontrolled exercise of its discretion. You acknowledge and agree that Avion has no duty or obligation to keep you informed of any amendments to, restatements of or other changes to these terms and conditions or this site, and that you are solely and exclusively responsible for apprising yourself of the same.

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