- 1. Should Pharmaton®
Matruelle® be taken at any particular time
during the day?
The iron content of Pharmaton® Matruelle® may in some cases cause nausea or other gastrointestinal reactions, particularly if the product is taken on an empty stomach. This may be exacerbated by nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (morning sickness). In such cases intake of Pharmaton®
Matruelle® with some food (breakfast or lunch) may be a useful option.
- 2. When should Pharmaton®
Matruelle® not be taken?
In case of concomitant intake of Vitamin D preparations may result in hypervitaminosis D and should be avoided. In case of iron metabolism disturbances, renal insufficiency and hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients contained in the preparation. This product is contraindicated in patients with a history of allergy to soya or peanuts.
- 3. Which interactions may occur with the intake of Pharmaton®
Matruelle®?
Interactions of iron with tetracycline antibiotics are known. The concomitant intake of preparations containing iron such as Pharmaton®
Matruelle® and tetracycline antibiotics may reduce each other’s absorption. This should therefore be avoided, or if not possible, a lapse of time of 2 hours should be considered. Particularly high doses of folic acid may reduce the effect of anti-epilepsy/anti-convulsion drugs.
- 4. Which side effects might occur when a supplementation with
Pharmaton®
Matruelle® is started?
Gastro-intestinal reactions (such as a feeling of a ‘heavy’ stomach, pressure on the stomach, nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhoea) may occasionally occur if the product is taken on an empty stomach. Concomitant intake with food decreases the probability of gastro-intestinal reactions.
- 5. Why is it important to take a micronutrient supplement already
before pregnancy starts?
In many cases women of child-bearing age have a bad micro-nutrients status, e.g. caused by an inadequate and unbalanced nutrition, in case of restricted/deficient diets (adolescents not educated to an appropriate nutrition, unhealthy eating habits and social environments, smoke, alcohol, drug consumption, fear of excessive weight increase during pregnancy, use of highly refined food, vegetarian and macrobiotics), or caused by a prolonged use of oral contraceptives which might have depleted the body‘s store of vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, nicotinamide and folic acid. All of these behaviours may exacerbate to micronutrients deficiency states and anaemias during pregnancy. Pre-conception deficiencies are critical, e.g. particularly a folic acid deficiency may bring to an enhanced risk of foetal neural tube defects (e.g. incomplete closure of the spine, Spina bifida, and other foetal malformations).
- 6. Why it is recommended to take a micronutrients supplement
during pregnancy?
A micronutrients supplementation during pregnancy is needed in general to promote foetal growth and development, to improve pregnancy outcome for a healthy development and delivery of a healthy, full-term baby and to lower risk of complications at delivery, to optimise woman‘s health and well-being, as well as to prevent pregnancy-related diseases.
Dramatic physiological changes occur in mother’s body after conception. Important metabolic changes (e.g. increased red blood cells production, decreased concentrations of circulating nutrient-binding proteins and micronutrients) occur, so that the mother needs more energy and nutrients for the expansion in blood volume and increase in organ size of foetal and maternal tissues (e.g. placenta). There is therefore an additional nutritional requirement for mother in order to avoid micro-nutrients depletion and micronutrients deficiencies, such as e.g. iron anaemia. Poor maternal nutrition adversely affects both the mother and the child.
- 7. Why it is recommended to take a micronutrients supplement
during lactation?
A micronutrients supplementation during lactation is recommended to improve break milk quality with micronutrients (to increase concentration of key micro-nutrients in maternal milk, as e.g. DHA is present in small amounts in breast milk) to properly nourish the baby, as well as to replenish maternal micro-nutrients stores depleted during pregnancy. Moreover, breast-feeding increases the maternal need for micro-nutrients. Moreover unmet nutritional needs by the mother, due to e.g. the hurry to quickly loose excessive weight increased during pregnancy, by dieters (low calories/poor quality food), vegetarian and macrobiotics may bring to micronutrients deficiencies and to have poor breast milk quality.
- 8. How long after pregnancy should the supplementation with
Pharmaton®
Matruelle® continue?
Ideally supplementation with Pharmaton® Matruelle® should last about 6 months after delivery, in order to restore storage of ingredients depleted by pregnancy and lactation.
- 9. In pregnancy, if a healthy balanced diet is eaten, is this not
giving an adequate amount of required micronutrients for the
mother and foetus?
According to published literature pregnant women generally do not get the required nutrients from food alone and require a multivitamin supplementation (especially from folic acid, iron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids containing DHA) during these particular periods.
- 10. Do previous pregnancies influence the mother’s body storage of
micronutrients?
Previous pregnancies may have depleted body stores of micro-nutrients and these must be properly replaced (e.g. it has been shown from observational studies that mothers body storage of DHA decrease after each pregnancy).
- 11. May pathological events during pregnancy or lactation bring to
micro-nutrients deficiencies?
Pathological events (e.g. with use of antibiotics) during pregnancy may bring to marginal micro-nutrients deficiencies.
- 12. Should a physician be consulted before starting Pharmaton®
Matruelle®?
According to general medical practice the use of Pharmaton® Matruelle® by pregnant or lactating women should be decided by the prescribing physician.
- 13. Which is the role of folic acid?
The folic acid present in Pharmaton® Matruelle® reduces the risk of occurrence of embryonal neural tube diseases of the foetus (such as Spina bifida, Myelomeningocele, Encephalocele, Anencephaly) when taken in the periods preceding pregnancy (women in child-bearing age) and during the first trimester of pregnancy.
- 14. Which is the correct amount of folic acid to be taken by pregnant
women?
Pharmaton® Matruelle® contains 600 mcg which is the latest official recommended daily allowance.
- 15. It is necessary to start with the supplementation of folic acid
before pregnancy? why?
Yes, as folic acid help prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord particularly when taken before conception and during the 1st trimester of pregnancy when the foetal brain and the neural tube are developing.
- 16. Why there is a higher need of iron in pregnant women?
Pregnant women are at especially high risk for iron deficiency due to expanding blood volume (increase of maternal red blood cell mass) needed to support growing foetus and placenta. Iron deficiency, with and without anaemia, is common during pregnancy and is associated with poor fetal weight gain, adverse obstetrical outcomes including premature delivery, low birth weight, possible inferior neonatal health and even fetal death. A prenatal multivitamin/mineral supplement containing iron is especially important for vegetarian women who rely on non-haeme sources of iron.
- 17. Why does Pharmaton®
Matruelle® not contain Calcium?
Pharmaton® Matruelle® does not contain Calcium for pharmaceutical reasons. Reasonable amounts [1000 mg calcium corresponding to the currently valid Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) value] can not be easily put in a single capsule basically for oversize reasons. Those competitors that contain calcium are very low dosed (e.g. 125 or 250 mg) compared to RDA. Furthermore it is known from a trial with a competitive product that calcium inhibits iron absorption. In case of low nutritional calcium intake a separate supplementation in conformation with the RDA-values should be taken.
- 18. Which is the source of omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA?
Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, are natural components of the diet in various food products, such as selected fatty fish species, seafood and nuts; however, dietary intakes of these fatty acids are generally below the needed amounts. The amount of omega-3 fatty acids contained in Pharmaton®
Matruelle® corresponds to 300 mg, of which 50% is DHA. The quality of the omega-3 fatty acids contained in Pharmaton®
Matruelle® is according to the parameters established by the European Pharmacopoeia.
- 19. Which is the role of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation such as
DHA in pregnancy?
DHA is of major importance for structural as well and functional (metabolic) functions within the nervous system. DHA status in a mother's diet is essential for baby's development as DHA status appears to have a long-term effect on the child. DHA is important before and during all stages of pregnancy, and it is crucial for proper brain/eyes growth and development in growing babies and children, as well as for the mother’s optimal system physiology.
- 20. Is there any safety issue related to the intake of omega-3 fatty
acids rich in DHA?
The safety of dietary DHA is well established in the literature based on the historical consumption of fish and fish- and marine-based foods. There is an abundance of DHA-containing dietary supplement products on the market. For instance, several traditional food products that contain DHA-containing oil ingredients (originated from different sources: fish, algae, and others) are present on the market. The safety of DHA is further supported by a wealth of historical information on populations consuming higher levels of DHA than those that would result from the conservative estimate of intake under the conditions/indications intended for use. Additional, clinical studies reveal no potential for toxicity of DHA under the conditions/indications on intended use.
- 21. Why is beta-carotene included in Pharmaton®
Matruelle® instead
of vitamin A?
Pure vitamin A has a narrow safety margin due to its teratological effects if taken in higher doses for prolonged periods of time (risk of foetal malformations). To avoid a possible risk, provitamin A beta-carotene is recommended, which does not have this safety issue, and is normal dietary precursor of vitamin A, beta-carotene is naturally transformed in the body to vitamin A.
- 22. Can Pharmaton®
Matruelle® be taken also by healthy adults
(not pregnant)?
Pharmaton® Matruelle® is specifically indicated for women of child-bearing age, those who are already pregnant, and those who are lactating. The intake of Pharmaton®
Matruelle® will be beneficial to all adults, but other multivitamin preparations such as Pharmaton® Vitality may be more adequate for these users, as the amounts of active ingredients are better adapted to the actual required daily allowances.
- 23. Does Pharmaton®
Matruelle® stimulate appetite and cause weight
gain?
Pharmaton® Matruelle® regulates the appetite without causing weight gain. Multivitamin supplementation is usually intended to restore storages of micronutrients and energy and support metabolic activity. Provided the pregnant woman is not suffering from any metabolic disease, Pharmaton®
Matruelle® can be coupled with low impact exercise and a healthy diet.
- 24. There is a range of multivitamin supplementation products
advertised for pregnancy. Where do you see the advantages of
Pharmaton® Matruelle®?
It is
unique that Pharmaton® Matruelle® contains essential vitamins, minerals,
trace elements, and omega-3 fatty acids including a high amount of
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in one single capsule for a once-a-day
administration. It thus offers a comprehensive and convenient
nutritional care for mother and baby during the whole peri-pregnant
period. In contrast to its competitors being in the market for a time,
new Pharmaton® Matruelle® is the most modern formula matching the
currently valid Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for pregnancy.
