Why Should Women of Childbearing Age Take Prenatal Vitamins When Fifty Percent of Pregnancies Are Unplanned?

Folic acid must be at adequate levels prior to conception. Good evidence shows that folic acid deficiency increases the risk of having a neural tube defect in the baby. By the time a woman recognizes the pregnancy, it is already too late to bring up folic acid levels if a deficiency had been present. Folic acid is one of the most essential things early on.

Fifty percent of pregnancies are unplanned. Prenatal vitamins should be recommended to all women of childbearing age. A well-balanced diet works because much of the food supply is supplemented with B vitamins and folic acid along with other nutrients that women need to replenish during pregnancy.