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How to Choose a Prenatal Vitamin

The Bump

Prenatal vitamins are crucial to mom’s health and baby’s development. When shopping for a prenatal, you’ll want to be mindful of any added sweeteners, as “minimizing added sugar is beneficial” during pregnancy, said Suzy Lipinski, M.D., a board-certified OBGYN at Obstetrix® of Colorado, part of Pediatrix® Medical Group. You should also know that there are health risks to taking too much folate. “Taking greater than 1,000 micrograms (1 milligrams) of folic acid is not recommended unless a patient has a history of a child with a neural tube defect (spina bifida),” advised Dr. Lipinski. While prenatal vitamins are not FDA-approved, you can look for certifications like ones from the NSF and United States Pharmacopeia (USP), and third-party testing to indicate the vitamins meet safety and ingredient standards, said Dr. Lipinski.

 

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