Why Should Your Prenatal Vitamins be P2i Tested & Certified
What is P2i?
P2i™ stands for Preconception to Infancy.
P2i™ - Preconception to Infancy - is an initiative designed to foster a deeper understanding of the link between environmental exposures and women’s health. Its goal is to empower women with knowledge so they can effectively minimize the impact of toxins on their health. P2i™ acknowledges the critical importance of women’s health throughout their lives and emphasizes empowering women to make informed decisions that promote their own well-being and, if they choose to conceive, the health of their children.
P2i™ has a vision that all women will minimize the impact of environmental exposures on their health
and the health of their families.
WHY P2i CERTIFICATION MATTERS
Sadly, when an American woman conceives, the probability that she will carry her baby to term and that baby will not suffer from chronic conditions barely exceeds one in three. In the U.S., the current miscarriage rate is 31%, with a preterm birth rate of 10.4%. By the time an American child reaches the age of five, more than 40% will be found to suffer from chronic health conditions such as cancer, attention deficit disorder, autism, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, celiac, dyspraxia, or serious food allergies.
We know that vitamins, supplements and personal products are contaminated with potentially toxic chemicals that pose risks for women, and certainly greater risks during vulnerable periods like preconception, pregnancy and infancy. Minimizing exposure to such chemicals means that we have given women and children the means of reducing chronic diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. A team of global experts has identified potentially toxic chemicals that should not be found in products, and certainly not in products that can harm the health of a mother or her fetus! Creating a certification, a Seal of P2i that says a product is free of toxic chemicals identified by these global experts allows clinicians and patients to identify safe products for their use.
P2i PROTOCOL
Relevant, peer-reviewed scientific studies and careful clinical practice have demonstrated that a high incidence of problem pregnancies and serious, chronic disorders among children are likely the result of environmental factors. These same studies also demonstrate that when women and children avoid toxics and follow a nutritious, healthy lifestyle regimen, the instances of poor pregnancy outcomes and chronic disorders in children are dramatically reduced. We call such a regimen a “P2i™ protocol” and aim to make P2i™ certified prenatal vitamins a
key component of the protocol.
The Numbers Are Devastating
In the U.S., the miscarriage rate is now 31% and the preterm birth rate 10.4%. By the time they reach the age of five, more than
40% of American children will be found to suffer from chronic health conditions such as cancer, attention deficit disorder, autism,
bi-polar disorder, epilepsy, celiac, dyspraxia or serious food allergies. In other words, when an American woman conceives, the
probability that she will carry her baby to term and that it will not suffer from chronic conditions barely exceeds one in three.
We Already Know How To Fix This Problem
There is no reason – much less any need – to tolerate this situation. The scientific and medical communities already know what to do.
Relevant, peer-reviewed scientific studies and careful clinical practice have been conducted over many years. They demonstrate that a
high incidence of problem pregnancies and a high incidence of serious, chronic disorders among children are likely in large measure the common result of environmental factors. They also demonstrate that when women, before and during pregnancy, and their infants,
during their first two years, follow a regimen based on toxic avoidance, proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices and individually
calibrated to the individual’s biochemistry, the incidence both of poor pregnancy outcomes and of chronic disorders among
the children is dramatically reduced.
Preconception Counseling is National Policy
Not only is the science well documented, but preconception counseling is national policy. In 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control concluded that principles of effective preconception care had been understood for years and that practitioners should routinely
use some form of education and protocol with patients who were considering a baby. The CDC then actually promulgated preconception
care standards, which were widely publicized within the medical community (although not in the population at large).
But in spite of the CDC efforts, little is being done. On the whole, as the CDC has written, practitioners have simply not paid
attention – and as a result, many pregnancies needlessly end badly and many children needlessly suffer from a serious, chronic disorder.
Practitioners’ compliance has stalled in part because they have felt no pressure from their patients to focus on biochemically precise detoxification and nutrition both before and during pregnancy. Patients, in turn, have not been in a position to pressure their
doctors because no one told them about their options. Our work is to change that. We intend to make sure that P2i™ principles
enjoy the widest and most effective exposure possible.
A healthy diet is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need. But during pregnancy you might fall short on key nutrients.
If you're pregnant or hoping to conceive, prenatal vitamins can help fill any gaps.
During pregnancy, you need more folic acid and iron than usual. Here's why:
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Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. These defects are serious abnormalities of the fetal brain and spinal cord. Ideally,
you'll begin taking extra folic acid at least 3 months before you become pregnant. -
Iron supports the development of the placenta and fetus.Iron helps your body make blood to supply oxygen to the fetus.
Iron also helps prevent anemia, a condition in which blood has a low number of healthy red blood cells. (more)