Most women who eat a well-rounded diet are able to get the vitamins and minerals needed through food. Listed below are vitamins and minerals important for preconception and pregnancy health. Tap on + sign for more info.
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Calcium (1,000 mg/day)
- Counseling: Advise on the importance of achieving recommended calcium intake levels. Supplements can be taken if dietary sources are insufficient.
- Sources: Milk, cheese, yogurt, sardines or salmon with bones, spinach
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Folic Acid (400 mcg/day)
- Counseling: To prevent neural tube defects, women need to achieve optimal folate status before pregnancy occurs, because the neural tube forms and closes during the first month of pregnancy. Adequate folate intake is especially important for women with a prior pregnancy with a neural tube defect, as recurrence rates are about 10 to 15 times higher than those for the general population.
- Sources: Green leafy vegetables, dark yellow fruits and vegetables, beans, peas, nuts, fortified cereals and flour
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Iodine (150mg/day preconception; 220mg/day pregnancy; 290 mg/day lactation)
- Counseling: Lack of iodine intake during pregnancy can affect development of the baby's brain and nervous system and may increase risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery and stillbirth.
- Sources: Iodized salt, seafood (including cod, sea bass, haddock, and perch), kelp, dairy products, and plants grown in iodine-rich soil
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Iron (27 mg/day)
- Counseling: CDC advises screening all women at preconception care visits for iron deficiency anemia in order to improve perinatal outcomes.
- Sources: Lean red meat, spinach, iron-fortified whole grain breads and cereals
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Vitamin A (770 mcg/day)
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Vitamin C (85 mg/day)
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Vitamin B6 (1.9 mg/day)
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Vitamin B12 (2.6 mcg/day)
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Vitamin D (600 IU/day)