What Every Parent-To-Be Should Know About Prenatal Nutrition

This will probably surprise a lot of parents and parents-to-be, but there are a number of genetic challenges moms can face that affect their baby’s development. For example, more than 90% of women aren't getting enough choline in their diet, and this nutrient is critical during pregnancy for fetal cognitive development, cell membrane formation, and DNA synthesis. Choline can be made in the body, but its production and metabolism are often limited by common genetic variants. This means that some women have higher choline requirements than others.

And choline isn’t the only nutrient affected by your genes: a common variant in the MTHFR gene has been shown to interfere with folate metabolism, potentially decreasing the conversion of folic acid to its active form of methylfolate. In addition, over 95% of women don't get enough DHA; this omega-3 fat is critical for brain and eye development but can also be affected by genetically-caused inefficiencies.

Unfortunately, most prenatal vitamins don’t include choline, DHA, or methylfolate, and the ones that do don’t take into account genetic differences that impact women’s nutrient needs.

So now that we know what nutrition challenges moms-to-be may face during pregnancy, what’s next? How do expecting moms find out about their own genetic nutrition profile and how do they address any deficiencies? Look no further than the Genate Test, the first comprehensive prenatal genetic nutrition test – offering precise, DNA-based nutritional recommendations for your baby's best start. The Genate Test detects single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in functional genes that can cause inefficiencies in nutrient metabolism, potentially affecting health and cognitive development in babies.

Once expecting moms take the test and get the results, the test recommends specific nutrient intake levels to overcome any metabolic inefficiencies. Genate also offers nutrigenetic counseling from registered dietitians, which provides an opportunity for women to tailor their nutrition to optimize their pregnancy and nutrition journey.

In addition to their personalized nutrigenetic counseling, Genate also has the Genate Essential Prenatal, a prenatal vitamin that addresses the base needs of all moms and is designed with the most bioavailable nutrients in the correct amounts for your baby's development and your health. Designed by Dr. Steven Zeisel, a leader of the nutrigenetics field and a researcher famed for his work in improving our understanding of how the body metabolizes key nutrients and the role that these nutrients play in babies’ development, the Genate Essential Prenatal is based on genetic insights. Plus, the Essential Prenatal outperforms other prenatals on the market; it is one of the only prenatals to contain a sufficient amount of the one-carbon nutrient choline, it contains betaine (which is rare among prenatals), it contains iron that is specifically formulated to minimize digestive disruption, and it includes a probiotic.

Parents-to-be want the absolute best for their babies, so knowing more about their genetic nutrition needs can provide them with the reassurance they need to feel confident about their pregnancy. Taking the Genate Essential Prenatal is a great starting point for all moms-to-be, and following up with the Genate Test and nutrigenetic counseling provides personalized dietary adjustments and supplementation recommendations based on an individual's unique genetic makeup, enabling mothers to provide tailored nutrition for their baby.

Learn more about the Genate Nutrition+Test bundle.