Miscarriages, Birth Defects, and Vitamin B3

Miscarriages and birth defects are things that can destabilize the emotional strength of families. Considering the after effects, a miscarriage is less emotionally traumatic for the mother than living with a baby with a lifetime birth defect.

Miscarriages happen when pregnancy is terminated of its own due to natural causes. Birth defects happen when the fetus developing in the womb develops an anomaly, which has the potential to cause malfunction in organic development, a distorted development of an organ or disfigured appearance of some sort.

Barring all external factors such as harmful substances or events that may affect pregnancy, the normal ones have a chance to lead up to a miscarriage or a congenital malformation. While there is no perfect cure for such things, scientific progress can, at the very least reduce these chances and induce hope in the couples who are pregnant.

It has been found in numerous researches that Vitamin B3 is the primary factor governing the prevention of a miscarriage or a birth defect. Its scientific name is niacin, and it has been found to be a catalyst in the development and maintenance of organs such as the brain, heart, and skin. It is one of the organic constituents apart from proteins, that exists naturally in the human body. However, as is the case with all nutrients, the human body needs a regular supply to replenish its stock.

Multi-vitamins are generally prescribed to pregnant women to compensate for the deficiency which exists in their dietary intakes. But Vitamin B3 has a special mention here, because of the vital function that it performs during pregnancies.

It is made of nicotinic acid, nicotinamide and nicotinamide riboside. These ingredients are important in the synthesis of NAD, or Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide besides Tryptophan (Trp), an amino acid.Although they sound phonetically similarto nicotine, that is not quite what they are.In the absence of Tryptophan these three compounds which are together known as Vitamin B3 are used in salvage pathways resulting in the successful synthesis of an active form of NAD.

Some families experience birth defects due a genetic problem which interferes in normal synthesis of NAD. It may suggest that these genetic factors inhibit Tryptophan, which means that the cells have to rely on salvage pathways to compensate.And dietary Vitamin B3 may not always be enough for cellular absorption.With added supplements of Vitamin B3, this interference can be countered and the chances of a normal pregnancy are increased significantly.Experiments performed on pregnant mice confirm the fact that Vitamin B3 prohibits a NAD deficiency and prevents birth defects similar to those found in human beings.

Many reports shed light on the fact that most pregnant women suffer from an acute deficiency of Vitamin B3, generally in the first trimester. Therefore, doctors advise increased multi-vitamin intake with extra helpings of Vitamin B3. Additionally, extra supplements of other nutrients may also be prescribed which help in effective absorption and utilization of Vitamin B3.