When Stephanie got pregnant with her first child at age 32, she channeled her limited energy and finances towards things like preparing space in her home and gathering supplies. The task, and cost, of securing and taking prenatal vitamins fell by the wayside.
As an unemployed mom in Columbia, South Carolina, she’s not alone. The state is home to a high number of women of reproductive age who lack health insurance — one in eight to be exact — and even more who don’t have access to proper prenatal care. The effects can be dire, contributing to birth defects, preterm birth, and even infant and maternal death.
But when Stephanie conceived her second child years later at age 41, she had a leg up: Through a local diaper bank called Power in Changing, she received not just diapers, information, support, and other supplies, but also free prenatal vitamins from the global health nonprofit Vitamin Angels. Had the supplements not been free, Stephanie said, she likely would have prioritized something else and skipped them once again. That, fortunately, wasn’t the case.
"With this pregnancy, I took the prenatal and I felt good throughout the whole pregnancy with him…I just overall generally feel healthier," Stephanie said. Despite being significantly older, she recovered faster from childbirth too. Stephanie’s second child, she added, "definitely benefited from having a healthy mom and a healthy start. He’s brought a lot of joy to my life."
Prenatal vitamins like those provided by Vitamin Angels are more than nice to have: Research shows that pregnant women with inadequate nutrition are more likely to experience complications including post-partum hemorrhage and preterm delivery, and their babies are at higher risk of poor cognitive and physical development.
"During pregnancy, a woman’s body works overtime to nourish her baby," said Colleen Delaney, PhD, RDN, a researcher and registered dietitian nutritionist who serves as a technical advisor for Vitamin Angels. Simply eating more doesn’t cut it. Moms with so-called "hidden hunger" may not lack calories, "but they are short on the essential vitamins and minerals needed to support their health and their baby’s development," Delaney added. "Prenatal multivitamins are a simple, proven way to meet that need."
But social and economic barriers like unemployment and unstable housing can prevent moms-to-be like Stephanie from taking the vitamins regularly. In fact, more than 1 million underserved pregnant women in the US miss out on important prenatal services, including multivitamins and nutrition support.
That’s where Vitamin Angels comes in. Thanks to donations from individuals and corporate partners like the brain supplement brand Prevagen (which acts as a philanthropic collaborator and not a prenatal vitamin maker), pregnant women across the country can receive the supplements free of charge. And importantly, the women access them from local providers they already use and trust.
"Partners like Power in Changing know their community, they know the mothers they serve by name, and they know the support their clients need," Ana Céspedes, Vitamin Angels CEO, said. "We further support their work by giving them more tools — a proven prenatal multivitamin and nutrition education — to put into women’s hands when they need it most."
From South Carolina to East India
A few states away from Stephanie, a Florida woman named Ty’hara had trouble finding prenatal care options that accepted her Medicaid coverage. But when she discovered Bond Community Health Center, which provides a wide range of health services, she was able to access and take prenatal vitamins from Vitamin Angels diligently.
While everyone’s experiences and needs are different, and prenatals should be taken as a part of a healthcare provider’s recommended prenatal care plan, Ty’hara valued the healthy foundation they delivered during her pregnancy. The vitamins help the baby’s organs "function and form correctly," she said, "as well as…helping me with my iron and minerals and all the things that I need to support successful growth for her."
Across the globe in India, a mom-to-be named Santoshini took Vitamin Angels supplements to round out her healthy routine. Like many of her neighbors, she got the vitamins free of charge from a program partner that collaborates with the Indian government to offer health education, childcare, immunizations, and more. "I feel like these supplements help me get through the day without feeling tired," Santoshini said. That’s important because, while she was pregnant, she also cared for her active two-year-old son.
Indeed, Vitamin Angels’ impact goes far beyond underserved communities in the US to reach more than 74 million women and children annually in 65 countries worldwide. In low-resource areas, problems from insufficient nutrition from pregnancy until a child’s fifth birthday can include additional and irreversible complications like blindness.
But both at home and away, it doesn’t take much to make a big difference. Case in point: A single dollar donation can impact four children; $5 dollars reaches 20.
"Supporting moms during pregnancy is one of the smartest investments you can make," Scott Minger, Vitamin Angels Chief Development Officer, said. "For the cost of a few cups of coffee, we can provide a woman with a full course of prenatal multivitamins that help her stay healthy, carry to term, and welcome a stronger, healthier baby."
Prevagen’s leadership agrees the investment is well worth it, said Tom Dvorak, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Quincy Bioscience. "At Prevagen, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life," he said. "Our partnership with Vitamin Angels allows us to transform that belief into meaningful action by supporting mothers and children with the essential nutrition they need to thrive."
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
