Description
Prenatal vitamins can be very important for fetal development and affect long term health outcomes for the child. Specific vitamins in prenatal vitamins include calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin C and folic acid. Several barriers exist regarding use of prenatal vitamins including access, education, and health barriers. Not taking prenatal vitamins can affect the growth and development of the fetus and also contribute to birth defects such as neural tube defects. This information was found through literature research using Google Scholar, CINAHL and Academic Search Premier. Results discuss positive outcomes for use of prenatal vitamins especially in the first trimester and negative outcomes for non-use of prenatal vitamins, however several studies conclude that there is no significance in either direction.
