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Stamford, Conn. – Oct. 25, 2012 – Pharmaceutical company Midlothian Laboratories recently donated nearly 500 bottles of prenatal vitamins to help pregnant women in the developing world have healthy babies. Volunteer medical teams providing primary care services in the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Panama and Togo distributed the vitamins to expectant mothers through AmeriCares Medical Outreach Program. The program supplies U.S.-based health care providers with medicines and medical supplies for 1,000 volunteer trips each year.
Prenatal vitamins are especially important in poor countries because pregnant women often do not receive adequate nutrition, increasing the risk of birth defects. Prenatal vitamins such as the ones donated by Midlothian can help cut risk of serious neurological defects by up to 70 percent.
“Prenatal vitamins are especially important in the developing world,” said AmeriCares Medical Director Dr. Frank Bia. “Insufficient iron and folic acid, in particular, can post serious risks to the developing fetus. We are pleased to be able to offer these crucial vitamins to women in need.”
Midlothian Laboratories has been partnering with AmeriCares since 2005. Over the years, the Montgomery, Ala.-based generic pharmaceutical company has donated nearly $10 million in products for AmeriCares aid programs worldwide.