©2005, Elizabeth Walker, RDH, BS, DC

• Prenatal, antioxidants and EPA/DHA – 1packet/day w/ meals (See "Please Read First")
• Lactobillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis (7.5 million live organisms each) in a powdered form mixed with water twice per day. Allowing these probiotic organisms to be swished around the mouth helps to inoculate the mouth with healthy bacteria to inhibit growth of bad germs

Please Note:  Product names used by Dr. Walker are listed below.

       Some women who are pregnant experience a gum inflammation (pregnancy gingivitis or periodontitis) that can be quite stubborn to resolve. In my twenty years of chiropractic practice I commonly saw pregnant women who sprained their backs with very little provocation. Since this was similar to findings in other clients who were not taking a multivitamin, I finally started asking pregnant women to bring in the formula of the prenatal vitamins they were taking. This proved tricky because many prenatal products do not have the formula listed on the bottle and they had to ask the pharmacist for a copy.

       Examination of various brands of prenatal formulae proved to be quite shocking. It became clear that our government has no regulation of these products (even though doctors write prescriptions for them!) and does not require the inclusion of nutrients that have a known Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for pregnancy.

       Improving prenatal nutrition is a subject I am very passionate about. It is important to both our country's public health and education that we produce offspring that are well nourished. A short article on the Health page of USA Today on 5-10-06 indicated that the United States has nearly the  worst infant mortality rate of 33 industrialized nations (second only to Latvia)!

        One prenatal brand I researched had only a single mineral, iron, and in such a high dosage that it was guaranteed to cause a woman much discomfort from constipation. In fact, most brands of prescription prenatal vitamins were missing multiple minerals that the government has listed as having RDA's for pregnancy. So much for our FDA looking out for our health and welfare!

       Not only that, the minerals present were of such poor quality that they irritated a pregnant woman’s already sensitive tummy and these women were more likely than not to skip their prenatal dosage altogether. Since nausea during pregnancy often relates to a deficiency of Vitamin B6, it is not helping matters to become even more deficient by being able to consume the prenatal.

       Many brands of prenatals do not have iodine despite the fact that deficiency can cause mental retardation and even death to the baby. Iodine deficiency in the mother can cause excessive weight gain, infertility, miscarriages, premature deliveries and stillbirths. The only reliable dietary source of iodine is table salt, which many women avoid due to swelling of the ankles during pregnancy. Seafood contains iodine but this is restricted in pregnancy due to mercury issues.

       In my book, Conquer Fatigue in 30 Days, I devote four pages to the very important topic of prenatal nourishment. I was inspired to do this because so many women over the two decades of my practice told me that their health suffered greatly during and after pregnancy. Sometimes they never regained their full health as much as ten years later. Many of the symptoms considered “normal” side effects of pregnancy are just nutritional deficiencies associated with the huge nutritional demands of pregnancy being unmet by poorly designed prenatal products.

       On page 22 of my book I list fifteen different nutrients that are missing from most prescription prenatals and list the beneifts and deficiency symptoms associated with these nutrients for both mother and baby. When you see how important the contents of a prenatal vitamin are, you will realize that buying the best prenatal vitamin is the wisest health investment you can make.

       Thankfully, you can buy excellent prenatal formulas over-the-counter and without a prescription! Prescription prenatal vitamins, like all one-per-day adult vitamins leave much to be desired and should be replaced by a much more comprehensive prenatal formula. For many years, I have used an excellent prenatal formula in my practice that has been extensively researched to be sure it only contains things proven safe for pregnancy. It has been a pleasure to see all of my patients experience low risk, uneventful pregnancies and give birth to healthy children without birth defects or health problems. In addition, my vitamin company now makes their prenatal product available in packets combined with the very important omega 3 fats, EPA/DHA.

      It is very disconcerting to hear some pregnant clients say that their doctor advised them not to take EPA/DHA because of “inadequate research regarding its safety during pregnancy.” These are essential fats, not non-essential, optional fats! If pregnant women need to eat seafood sparingly, we need to supplement these fats, period.

       There have been recent news reports warning against the use of statin drugs such as Lipitor and the antidepressant drug Paxil during pregnancy due to birth defects. How can doctors even fathom allowing such drugs during pregnancy and then cautioning women against the use of EPA/DHA?

       DHA has been shown to help infant brain development and strengthens the retina for good vision. Some progressive countries (other than America) obviously have done their research to figure this out. The human brain develops rapidly during the late stages of fetal development and early infancy. The DHA content of the fetal brain increases three to five times during the last trimester of pregnancy and triples during the first twelve weeks of life. Inadequate levels of DHA are associated with a lower IQ in children.

       Sixty other countries were putting DHA in infant baby formula before the World Health Organization was finally able to beg the United States to comply (just a few years ago). This should make it painfully obvious to all health care practitioners that the United States public health community is very slow on the uptake with adopting nutritional preventive health measures. Unfortunately, DHA supplementation is still an option, not mandatory in this country. If women are breastfeeding, it would certainly behoove them to be taking this important nutrient.

       EPA prevents sticky platelets, which is a crucial way to prevent the blood clots and strokes that are common among pregnant women. EPA/DHA is also important for nourishing a pregnant woman’s brain. These important nutrients prevent problems with memory and depression. Since post-partum depression affects about eighty percent of pregnant women, obstetricians should study the research on these nutrients to understand how important they are for the good health of both mother and baby.

       Taking probiotics during pregnancy is important for preventing the constipation and yeast imbalances that are so common during this time. Babies who are born vaginally actually benefit from the healthy bacterial flora they encounter in the birth canal. Also, it is important to an infants’ immunity to receive probiotic bacteria from their mothers in the breast milk. A recent study found many women’s breast milk to be devoid of healthy bacterial flora.