Health Canada says that a manufacturer of vitamins for new and expectant mothers is recalling some lots of the product.
Some packages of PregVit and PregVit folic 5 vitamin-mineral supplements — which are supposed to contain 15 pink morning and 15 blue nighttime tablets — may only contain the pink tablets, according to the agency.
“The pink and the blue tablets do not contain the same active ingredients,” Health Canada said in a statement on Friday.
“Women taking all pink tablets will not receive the intended vitamin and mineral supplements. In particular, the pink tablets do not contain folic acid, which is important for the healthy growth of an unborn baby and helps to reduce some types of birth defects called neural tube defects.”
The company says the issue only affects a small number of packages. Health Canada’s website has details on which lots may be affected.
The agency says anyone who has purchased the product and doesn’t have the correct selection of pills should contact their pharmacist about obtaining a replacement.
“There are no quality, safety or effectiveness concerns with the tablets themselves but there is the potential that patients may not take the proper combination of pink and blue tablets if they have received products impacted by the packaging error,” Health Canada said.
PregVit folic 5 is for prenatal use, while the other product, PregVit, is for both prenatal and postpartum.