Top-Selling CitraNatal® Prenatal Vitamin Line Now Offers Over-the-Counter Pre-Pregnancy Supplement

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --"Mom, I'm hungry." Do developing babies crave certain foods? Well, not exactly. Yet from the moment of conception babies have specific needs for essential nutrients to help ensure their proper growth and development.

In fact, the pregnancy planning phase is an ideal time for prospective moms to fuel up on the critical nutrients their babies will be hungry for as they develop. Optimal nutrition and supplementation even before pregnancy help lay the groundwork for a baby's proper growth.

It's especially important for women to have plenty of folic acid in their bodies at the time of conception and during the first few weeks of pregnancy.^1,2  Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body make healthy new cells. Most women do not get enough of it through food alone.²  When a  mom-to-be takes 400 to 800 micrograms of folic acid before and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, it helps proper development of her baby's brain and spine and may reduce the risk of related birth defects.^1,2 This folic acid supplementation also helps keep blood healthy and prevent anemia.²               

1. March of Dimes website. http://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/folic-acid.aspx. Accessed August 13, 2014.
2. Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service website. http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/folic-acid.pdf.

Accessed August 18, 2014.

To make high-quality nutritional supplements available to more women before their pregnancies, San Antonio-based Mission Pharmacal Company now offers CitraNatal® basic™. This quality over-the-counter prenatal vitamin is designed to provide exceptional pre-pregnancy nutritional support. CitraNatal basic is available exclusively at amazon.com.

"The special CitraNatal basic formulation provides the full spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals, including folic acid, iron, calcium, and DSM's life'sDHA* to help fill dietary gaps in nutrition and give babies a healthy start," says Nancy Price, Senior Product Manager, CitraNatal, Mission Pharmacal. "As is the case with Mission's complete line of prescription CitraNatal® vitamins, CitraNatal basic uses pure, best-quality ingredients and is designed with a woman's nutritional support and convenience in mind.

"CitraNatal basic minimizes the gas and discomfort associated with some supplements containing alternate calcium sources (e.g., calcium carbonate) and provides ample folic acid and other important nutrients in just one easy-to-swallow tablet and one soft gel per day."

Complete information about CitraNatal basic is available at citranatalbasic.com. This fact-packed website also provides a wealth of information about prenatal nutrition and supplementation.

CitraNatal basic complements Mission Pharmacal's best-selling family of CitraNatal prescription vitamins. This complete line of science-based, quality-focused supplements is designed to meet nutritional needs at all stages of pregnancy.

Women should visit their physicians as soon as possible when trying to conceive to discuss their unique nutritional needs, which continue to evolve as pregnancy progresses. Women and their physicians can select the right dietary and supplementation options to meet evolving nutritional needs before, during, and after pregnancy.

* life'sDHA is a registered trademark of DSM.

Both the CitraNatal family of products and Mission's Dr. Smith's® Diaper Rash Ointment and Dr. Smith's® Diaper Rash Spray support maternal and infant health through their sponsorship of a trailblazing documentary called "40 Weeks." Produced by Big Belli, LLC and its highly respected production team, this movie follows various women and their families as they journey through weekly pregnancy milestones. Premiering in December 2014, the movie and related events around the country will help women share their pregnancy experiences and health information.

Mission Pharmacal is also proud to support healthy babies as a five-year corporate sponsor of March for Babies, the premier fundraising event for March of Dimes.

For more information about Mission Pharmacal and its products, including full prescribing information, please visit missionpharmacal.com.

INDICATIONS: CitraNatal Harmony^®, CitraNatal Assure^®, CitraNatal B-Calm^®* and CitraNatal^® 90 DHA are multivitamin/mineral prescription drugs indicated for use in improving the nutritional status of women prior to conception, throughout pregnancy, and in the postnatal period for both lactating and nonlactating mothers.

*CitraNatal B-Calm may be used in conjunction with a physician prescribed regimen to help minimize pregnancy related nausea and vomiting.

Important Safety Information

CONTRAINDICATIONS: These products are contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients.

WARNING: More than 3 grams total intake per day of omega-3 fatty acids from all sources, including both food and supplements (like Docosahexaenoic Acid [DHA] and Eicosapentaenoic Acid [EPA]), have been shown to have potential antithrombotic effects, including an increased bleeding time and INR. Administration of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided in patients on anticoagulants and in those known to have an inherited or acquired bleeding diathesis.^**

^**CitraNatal B-Calm does not contain DHA or EPA.

WARNING: Folic acid alone is improper therapy in the treatment of pernicious anemia and other megaloblastic anemias where vitamin B₁₂ is deficient.

For more information about CitraNatal products, including full Prescribing Information and Precautions and Adverse Reactions, please visit citranatal.com.

About Mission Pharmacal Company

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141022/153725

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/top-selling-citranatal-prenatal-vitamin-line-now-offers-over-the-counter-pre-pregnancy-supplement-825648452.html

SOURCE Mission Pharmacal Company

Related Links

http://www.missionpharmacal.com