I wanted to share this thought after I read Leslie Beck's  article "Multivitamins aid infant birth weight" (Globe & Mail, Wednesday, June 10, 2009) I strongly believe that vitamins should be a regular part of our daily routine, but the importance of this practice becomes emphasized for women who are planning to conceive or are pregnant.A recent meta-analysis shows that supplementation with a multivitamin prevents neural tube defects, lowers the risk of preeclampsia and delivery of a low birth-weight baby. Folic acid, an essential before and during the early stages of a pregnancy, is required in healthy cell division to ensure the proper formation of the fetal neural tube and the function of blood vessels in the mother-to-be (a process thought to be disrupted in women with preeclampsia).Inclusion of proper amounts of protein, iron and omega-3s are also important to tissue growth, brain and eye development, and to strengthen the mother’s overall health to support the growth and delivery of a baby with a healthy birth weight.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/multivitamins-aid-infant-birt...