Health News__
Vitamin B12 Can Prevent Major Birth Defects

.....Before becoming pregnant, women need to get enough vitamin B12 in addition to folic acid to cut their risk of having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal cord, reports a recent study.
.....Irish women with the lowest vitamin B12 levels were five times more likely to have a baby with a neural tube defect than those with the highest levels, the researchers wrote in the journal Pediatrics.
.....Neural tube defects can lead to lifelong disability or death. The two most common defects are spina bifida, in which the spinal cord and back bones do not form properly, and anencephaly, a fatal condition in which the brain and skull bones do not develop normally.
.....The developmental events involved in these birth defects occur in the first four weeks of pregnancy.
.....It is important that women raise their B12 levels before they become pregnant because once they realize they are pregnant, there may be no benefit.
.....Many women now know of the importance of folic acid and there has been a drop in neural tube defects. Awareness of the similar role of vitamin B12 could reduce neural tube defects further.
.....Vitamin B12 is essential to maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. It is found in meat, dairy products, eggs, fish, shellfish and fortified breakfast cereals. It also can be taken as an individual supplement or in a multivitamin.
.....The study involved almost 1,200 women in Ireland who gave blood samples during early pregnancy, which were analyzed to determine vitamin B12 levels. The women in the lowest 25 percent of vitamin B12 levels were five times more likely than those in the highest 25 percent to have had a baby with a neural tube defect.

Taking Medicine Well

.....Taking medicine well is important; otherwise you may be taking unnecessary risks with your health. Each year many Canadians miss work, end up in the hospital or even die because they did not take their medication the right way, skipped doses or did not finish it at all. The costs of these errors are extremely high, both to Canada's health care system and to you as a taxpayer.
.....Canadian pharmacists prevent and solve thousands of problems related to prescription and nonprescription medication every year. This work helps to improve the health of Canadians and is estimated to save the health care system hundreds of millions of dollars in communities and hospitals across Canada.
Take responsibility by learning about your condition and how to take your medicine properly so you get the best results.

Your Peoples Pharmacist has answers
.....Whether you are filling a prescription or choosing over-the-counter medicine to treat an illness, never leave the pharmacy before you know the answers to all your questions.

These might include:

Why am I taking this medicine?
How do I take it?
How will I know if this medicine is working?
When will I feel better?
What side effects might I experience? What should I do?
When should I see my doctor?
What should I do if I miss a dose?
Where should I store my medicine?
What foods, alcohol or other drugs should I avoid while taking this?
How will I remember to take my medicine?
Will this medicine make me drowsy?
Can I take this medicine if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
I'm taking three other medications. Is it okay to take this, too?
Is "four times a day" the same as "once every six hours"?
Is there a less expensive medicine I might use instead?
Am I using my inhaler properly?
Can I get my medicine in a container that is easier to open?
Is there another medicine I could take that would be easier for me to swallow?
Which is the best nonprescription medicine for my symptoms?

Peoples Pharmacists are committed to helping people live better lives through trusted pharmaceutical advice.