Pregnancy

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Best Product

Pregnacare
Overall rating
Quality 4

Vitabiotics
Value for money
Quality 4

Tesco
Value for money
Quality 5

Pregnancy Care
Overall rating
RATING:Rating

Morrisons
Value for money
Quality 5

ProNatal
Overall rating
Quality 4

Sanatogen
Value for money
Quality 4


Worth A Look

Pregnancy Care
Overall rating
Quality 4

Sainsbury's
Value for money
Quality 4


 

SC Quality Benchmark for Vitamins and Minerals for Pregnancy

The quality benchmarks for this category are as follows:
1) Moderately elevated levels of the 12 essential vitamins (with a compulsory requirement for Folic Acid at minimum 200% RDA) and omission of Vitamin A.
2) Provision of 100% RDA Iron, Zinc and Iodine and a minimum of 20% RDA Calcium and Magnesium.
3) Additional nutrients such as Vitamin K (non-RDA stated vitamin) and Beta Carotene as a precursor to Vitamin A and the Omega 3s EPA / DHA are considered valuable additions in the assessment.
4) All of the above criteria preferably presented in a one-a-day tablet / capsule format to promote long term compliance.

 

There is a general requirement for moderately increased levels of most vitamins and minerals during pregnancy. This now includes the Government guidance for increased intake of Folic Acid to 400mcg (200% RDA) for at least the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Similarly, most dietary supplements omit Vitamin A to prevent excessive total intake from diet and supplements combined.
NOTE:

1) It is just as important to increase intake of the Omega-3s, particularly DHA, during pregnancy as it is to obtain adequate levels of vitamins and minerals. Please see Omega-3 section for more information.

2) Calcium and magnesium intake which meets the RDA requirements of 800mg and 300mg respectively are particularly important during pregnancy and none of the the above products deliver this level. Indeed some products contain no calcium at all. As such a seperate Calcium and Vitamin D product is recomended during pregnancy.

 

Quality

The quality of the 8 products reviewed here was high, all of them delivering most essential vitamins and minerals, with some at moderately raised levels. Interestingly, these products all had advantages which, if combined together, would be an outright winning product. The products from Mum’s Essentials and New Mum from Boots combined vitamins and minerals with 125mg of DHA (Boots) the most important omega-3 fatty acid. These products are worthy of use during pregnancy (after 12 weeks) as well as following birth. None of the products however contained a significant contribution to calcium intake.

Value range

The products here showed generally good overall value with cost per daily dose within a fairly narrow band of £0.08-£0.16. However, as many of these products are virtually identical, it pays to shop around.

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