Prenatal Health and Nutrition Omega-3 Breakthrough

WOONSOCKET, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For years, health advocates have promoted the importance of folic acid for prenatal healthcare. Now, the latest in prenatal research recognizes another crucial prenatal nutrient, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid, that many women lack in their everyday diet and supplements.

“With the increasing risks and confusion associated with fish contamination, a leading source of Omega-3s, it is best for women take Omega 3-DHA supplements to ensure that they are getting a healthful and optimal Omega 3-DHA intake.”

DHA—Important Prenatal Building Block

As one of the crucial building blocks of human brain tissue and cognitive functioning, DHA is integral in the development of the brain, eyes, nerves and immune system in infants. Early in life, DHA is supplemented through the placenta and from breast milk as infants are unable to produce optimal levels of DHA on their own.

DHA is also an important nutrient for mothers-to-be—increasing dietary intake of DHA during pregnancy and beyond may help to support a mother’s emotional well-being after birth.

With these benefits in mind, however, pregnant and nursing women in the U.S. on average only consume 52mg of DHA per day; about 25 percent of the recommended daily 200 mg intake*. DHA is also not found in most prenatal vitamins. A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive^® on behalf of Life Fitness found that only 31 percent of women ages 18 and over believed that they clearly understood which vitamins and nutrients are important to prenatal healthcare**.

Expert Outlook on DHA

“Women in their child-bearing years—and especially during pregnancy and while nursing—should pay particular attention to their daily intake of Omega-3-DHA and the sources in which they find it,” said Dr. Donnica Moore, Life Fitness Well-being Expert. “With the increasing risks and confusion associated with fish contamination, a leading source of Omega-3s, it is best for women take Omega 3-DHA supplements to ensure that they are getting a healthful and optimal Omega 3-DHA intake.”

Life Fitness Prenatal Multivitamin & DHA

Life Fitness, leader in advanced solutions for healthy and active living, now offers the first over-the-counter prenatal supplement with DHA—Life’sDHA™ Prenatal Multivitamin & DHA—on the mass market available at CVS/pharmacy.

Affordably priced, this exclusive two-step multivitamin and DHA supplement program features a daily DHA (200 mg) soft gel and multivitamin tablet.

The soft gel features a patented, ultra-pure and completely fish-free DHA to support infant brain and eye development. The multivitamin contains extra folic acid to provide improved support for the proper development of the infant’s spinal column.

Product Details & Benefits

• The Life Fitness DHA Prenatal Multivitamin & DHA is available exclusively at CVS/pharmacy and CVS.com and retails for $34.99 for a 2 month supply.
• The Life Fitness Prenatal Multivitamin & DHA contains 200mg of DHA Omega-3 in every serving and 975 mcg of folic acid.
• Clinical studies have shown that taking 200mg of DHA during pregnancy and while nursing a child can provide significant benefits for improving the development of brain and eye function.
• Many doctors specifically recommend that pregnant women and nursing mothers consume 200mg of DHA per day to help their baby develop during these important times.

For more information about or samples of the Life Fitness Prenatal Multivitamin & DHA, or any of the Life Fitness products at CVS/pharmacy, please contact Kimberly Youngstrom at kyoungstrom@kaplowpr.com or Jackie Warren at jwarren@kaplowpr.com.

About Life Fitness

Life Fitness, the worldwide leader in fitness equipment, in partnership with CVS/pharmacy has developed a line of technologically advanced solutions to help maintain an active lifestyle and support overall health and well-being. The Life Fitness product line includes a range of uniquely formulated vitamins and nutritional supplements, analgesic pain relieving patches, foot care shoe inserts, heart rate monitor watches and blood pressure monitors.

All Life Fitness products are available at CVS/pharmacy and www.cvs.com.

About CVS pharmacy

CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation, is America's largest retail pharmacy with approximately 6,200 retail locations. CVS/pharmacy is committed to serving the healthcare needs of all customers by being the easiest pharmacy for customers to use, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at http://www.cvs.com/pressroom, as well as http://investor.cvs.com.

*Mean and Percentiles for Usual Daily Intake of n-3 Docosahexaenoic Acid (22:6) (g), United States, CSFII (1994–1996, 1998), located on WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/content/article/127/116862.htm

Survey Methodology

** This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Life Fitness and CVS/pharmacy between April 6 and April 10, 2007 among 1,238 adult women (aged 18 and over). Figures for region, age within gender, education, household income and race/ethnicity were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. With a pure probability sample of 1,238, one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results would have a sampling error of +/- 4 percentage points. Sampling error for data based on sub-samples would be higher and would vary. However, that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.