BLAINVILLE, QC, Jan. 26, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Duchesnay Inc., a Quebec-based pharmaceutical company dedicated to the health and quality of life of the pregnant woman and her unborn child, proudly announces the beginning of a new partnership with Fondation OLO. This two-year partnership will give pregnant women in precarious living conditions free access to the prenatal multivitamin PregVit®. Duchesnay joins other generous donors in their support to Fondation OLO, which oversees to the free distribution of eggs, milk, oranges, and prenatal multivitamins to nearly 15,000 pregnant women in Québec.
An estimated one out of every five Québec women goes through their pregnancy in poverty. In this context, vitamin deficiency represents a significant risk to the health of thousands of unborn babies. Some women simply cannot afford the prenatal supplements of vitamins and minerals necessary to proper fetal development and the subsequent breastfeeding of the newborn. With the widespread support of health care professionals, Fondation OLO provides a solid nutritional base to women benefitting from the program, contributing greatly to their health and that of their babies.
"Duchesnay and its employees take pride in supporting Fondation OLO, an organization committed to providing a good start to the lives of thousands of babies. This unique program dovetails naturally with our own mission," said Carole Boyer, Duchesnay Inc. Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Communications. "Our goal is to allow the pregnant woman to go through pregnancy with her and her child's health fully protected. Our attachment to this cause stems from our core values: integrity, openness and excellence," she added.
"The nutritional needs of women addressed by Fondation OLO are colossal and the urgency to meet them is great. These women are often in a state of nutritional deficiency even before pregnancy, exacerbating the likelihood of unfavourable prognoses for the unborn child. The people at Duchesnay share our belief that it's important get involved and make a difference. From the very start of our partnership, we could see their determination to do everything they could to help more Québec children to be born healthy. So we decided to work with them, as well as with our other partners, to find a way to get the vitamins into the hands of the women who need them the most," said Élise Boyer, General Manager of Fondation OLO.
For several years now, the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Québec (AOGQ), the medical association representing doctors specializing in the health of women and their unborn children, also supports Fondation OLO by collecting donations from its members, notably through a race held during its annual scientific conference. "AOGQ is proud of its partnership with Fondation OLO and Duchesnay to support a program that is so important. Our association continues to support the foundation's mission and to encourage any efforts that will help women experience healthy pregnancies as well as their unborn children getting a good start in life," declared Dr. Marc-Yvon Arsenault, Chair of AOGQ's Professional Development Committee.
About PregVit®
Launched in 2003, PregVit® is a preconception, prenatal and postnatal supplement. Its unique formulation and two-stage dosage (one pink tablet in the morning and one blue tablet in the evening) have the main purpose of optimizing absorption of the nutrients that are most important during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Among the benefits of this approach is better absorption of folic acid by separating the iron and calcium to reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, including nausea and constipation. Furthermore, the formulation is free of lactose, gluten and tartrazine, and the product is certified Kosher/Passover and Halal which promotes the use of multivitamins among women who otherwise may deny themselves. PregVit® is available by prescription only. It is recommended that women planning for pregnancy talk with their health professional about whether PregVit® can help them reach the level of folic acid they need, based on the condition of their health.
About Fondation OLO
Fondation OLO, with the support of hundreds of social and community workers across Québec, contributes to helping children to be born healthy and get a good start in life. In concrete terms, eggs, milk, orange juice, and vitamin and mineral supplements are supplied, as part of personalized programs, to thousands of soon-to-be mothers in positions of vulnerability, for whom meeting their nutritional needs and those of their child's represents a daily challenge. Additionally, because eating habits are learned early, the support continues with appropriate tools offered to families that will build the skills needed to eat and cook healthy, and to do it together. Each year in Québec, some 15,000 women (one in five) experience pregnancy in poverty, increasing the risk of low birth weight. Since its founding in 1991, Fondation OLO and its partners, mainly from Québec's health and social services network, have helped close to 200,000 future mothers bring healthy babies into the world. For more information, go to www.fondationolo.ca/en.
About Duchesnay
Duchesnay Inc. is a Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to improve the health and quality of life of pregnant women by working at advancing maternal-fetal medicine to reduce the risk of birth defects and by developing safe and effective pharmacological solutions for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For more information, visit www.duchesnay.com/.
SOURCE Duchesnay inc.
Image with caption: "On the left, Élise Boyer, General Manager of Fondation OLO and, on the right, Carole Boyer, Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Communications of Duchesnay Inc. (CNW Group/Duchesnay inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160126_C2960_PHOTO_EN_603461.jpg
Image with caption: "Logo: Duchesnay Inc. Becomes a Major Partner of Fondation OLO with Donation of PregVit® Prenatal Multivitamins (CNW Group/Duchesnay inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160126_C2960_PHOTO_EN_603463.jpg
For further information: Ron Vaillancourt, Communications Manager, Duchesnay Inc., 1 877 833-7734, [email protected]
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