Little helpers, big effects.

Micronutrients - just what your baby needs

It's almost impossible to prepare yourself mentally for the miracle of birth. Every parent will experience this special event in his or her own way.

Having said that, there are some things you can do to make sure your body and that of your baby are in tip-top condition ready for the big day. There's really nothing complicated about it. Once you take the decision to have a child, it is important among other things to ensure that you increase your intake of nutrients such as folic acid, iodine and Metafolin®, a naturally occurring form of folate that can be used directly by the body. As it grows day by day, your baby needs these substances to ensure its healthy development. Unfortunately, as many mothers who have tried can testify, it isn't always quite so easy to obtain enough nutrients in your food.

For most pregnant and breast-feeding women, meeting those extra requirements for folic acid, folate and other vitamins can be a real challenge. Of course, many of the nutrients and vitamins they need can be found in food such as whole-grain bread, meat products, milk, fruit and vegetables, but the vitamin content varies enormously. And what happens if you simply can't resist that burger, a plate of chips or a piece of chocolate once in while instead of those steamed vegetables, oily fish and whole-grain bread?
What's more, vitamins are very delicate. They are easily destroyed if food is stored for a long period without cooling, and can also be lost during cooking. That applies especially to one of the most important vitamins of all - folate.