NOW® Partners with GrassrootsHealth to Fund Grassroots Prenatal Vitamin D Project Aimed At Cutting $35 Million in Annual Healthcare Costs

NOW to Provide More Than $100,000 in Funding + Vitamin D Supplements to Support Improved Birth Outcomes in Missoula, Montana

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Jun 30, 2016, 04:08 ET

BLOOMINGDALE, Ill., June 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- NOW®, a family-owned and leading manufacturer of dietary supplements, is pleased to provide more than $100,000 in funding and Vitamin D supplements to support Protect Our Children NOW!, a two-year grassroots prenatal Vitamin D project to improve birth outcomes and combat increased healthcare costs associated with Vitamin D deficiency in utero. The pilot program, spearheaded by GrassrootsHealth, an international nonprofit public health promotion organization, will be conducted at the Western Montana Clinic (WMC) in Missoula, Montana, with hopes to expand to other cities in the near future. For more information: www.nowfoods.com.

NOW(R), a family-owned and leading manufacturer of dietary supplements, will provide more than $100,000 in funding and Vitamin D supplements to support Protect Our Children NOW!, a two-year grassroots prenatal Vitamin D project to improve birth outcomes and combat increased healthcare costs associated with Vitamin D deficiency in utero. The specific supplement is Vitamin D-3 5,000 IU Chewables (http://bit.ly/1ZUIavC)

Montana currently holds a grade C in preterm birth rate, and is ranked 29th in the nation. According to the March of Dimes, Montana's current preterm birth rate is 9.3 percent, and the annual cost is estimated to be $71 Million for the state. However, research has shown at least 50 percent of the cost ($35 Million) could be saved and potential preterm births prevented with proper prenatal education, vitamin D supplementation and screening.

"NOW's mission is to empower people to lead healthier lives," said Jim Emme, NOW's CEO. "We are honored to partner with GrassrootsHealth to provide Vitamin D to these pregnant women in an effort to have a positive impact on their pregnancies as well as the future health of their children."

Specifically, lead researcher for the program, Carol Wagner, MD, who has been running a pilot program out of the Medical University of South Carolina for the past two years (where she is also a professor in the department of Pediatrics), said early meta-analysis compared to past randomized control trial data with NHANES data revealed women who achieve a serum level of 40 ng/ml or above during pregnancy have a 59% lower risk of preterm birth when compared to women with serum levels less than 20 ng/ml. A full preliminary report on the South Carolina results should be out later this year. In addition, recent research published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology (http://bit.ly/2614cE0) further linked vitamin D deficiency to preterm birth.

At WMC, NOW will provide $60,000 in Vitamin D-3 5,000 IU Chewables (http://bit.ly/1ZUIavC). Participants who qualify for the program will receive the supplements (also provided by Carlson Labs), as well as educational materials, access to an online forum, and a local support contact. Further blood tests will measure vitamin D serum levels at 24 weeks and at 36 weeks gestation. Doctors and nurses at WMC will also receive continuing medical education activities on the importance of vitamin D testing and supplementation in pregnant women.

"It's our expectation that results of Protect Our Children NOW! will dovetail nicely with the preliminary results in South Carolina, further showcasing the tremendous impact Vitamin D supplementation can have on improved birth outcomes," said Carole Baggerly, founder and director of GrassrootsHealth. "We couldn't have launched this program without the generous support of our partners like NOW, and it's our hope that we can prompt other institutions across the country to follow suit."

For more information about NOW's involvement with Protect Our Children NOW!, email [email protected]. All NOW products are available at health food stores nationwide and also at www.nowfoods.com.

ABOUT NOW®:
Founded by Elwood Richard in 1968 on the belief that natural is better, NOW has become one of the most highly respected manufacturers in the natural products industry. Still a family-owned company today, NOW offers more than 1,400 dietary supplements, foods, sports nutrition and personal care products. NOW is committed to offering safe, affordable products of the highest quality. After more than 45 years in the natural products industry, NOW remains committed to its original mission – to provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives. www.nowfoods.com

About GrassrootsHealth:
GrassrootsHealth is a nonprofit public health organization dedicated to moving public health messages regarding vitamin D from research into practice. It has a panel of 48 senior vitamin D researchers from around the world contributing to its operations. GrassrootsHealth is currently running the D*action population intervention program to solve the vitamin D deficiency epidemic worldwide. Under the D*action umbrella, there are programs looking at the entire population as well as targeted programs for breast cancer prevention and a 'Protect Our Children NOW!' program to reduce the complications of vitamin D deficiency encountered during pregnancy and childhood.

Media Contact:
Alana Horinko, 630-545-9098 [email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160630/385336

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