Introduction
Particularly during pregnancy, many women tend to take additional vitamins in the form of dietary supplements because they want the best for their child. An increased intake of vitamins during pregnancy is also quite sensible, as both mother and child need to be well supplied. However, this can usually be achieved through a healthy diet. The additional intake of vitamin preparations is quite reasonable for some vitamins, since during pregnancy there is an increased need and a deficiency can lead to developmental disorders of the unborn child. However, this does not apply at all to other vitamins.
Overview – Which vitamins are available?
Basically, the vitamins folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin C, vitamin D and the vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B6 (pyridoxine) are needed during pregnancy. As a rule, the additional requirement of vitamins during pregnancy must be balanced out by an increased consumption of fruit and vegetables. With folic acid, however, this is hardly possible.
Folic acid is needed above all in early pregnancy and a deficiency can lead to serious health consequences for the child. The additional intake of iodine is also sensible. The B vitamins are mainly found in whole grain products, potatoes and milk.
A deficiency of vitamin B is very rare in western countries, so taking vitamin B supplements is usually not necessary. With vegetarians and Veganerinnen this could become however necessary. Vitamin D can be produced by the body itself through the sun’s radiation on the skin.
About 10 minutes of sunlight daily is usually sufficient to produce sufficient vitamin D. Since the sun rarely shines in the winter months, replacement products may be necessary. The vitamin D level in the blood should be checked by the doctor. If it is below 30 ng/ml, the treating physician will advise on a vitamin D substitution.
Vitamin C can be sufficiently absorbed through the diet by sufficient intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. Vitamin A can be absorbed through milk, egg yolk or carrots. A deficiency occurs very rarely, but an excess of vitamin A can occur, which should be avoided especially during pregnancy.
It can lead to malformations, which is why vitamin A should not be additionally taken in tablet form. Folic acid is very important for the development of the child, especially in early pregnancy. Since the expectant mother often cannot cover the additional requirement for folic acid only with an appropriate diet, it is usually necessary to take folic acid preparations.
Folic acid is already needed by the baby in the third to fourth week after fertilization in order to develop well. However, many women do not even know that they are pregnant at this time. Women who wish to have children are therefore recommended to take 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid daily before pregnancy in order to prevent possible damage to the child’s development.
