Starting today, TOP Food stores will provide free prenatal vitamins to anyone who has prescriptions for them. No insurance plan is required.

The prenatal vitamins usually cost $8-$19 per month. The fluoride supplements, recommended for children living in households without a fluoridated water supply, retail for approximately $6 per month.

In Bellevue, the TOP Food & Drug store is located at 15751 N.E. 15th St.

Most pregnant women are advised to take prenatal vitamins, which are specially formulated to compensate for any nutritional deficiencies in an expectant mother’s diet. TOP Food’s free prenatal vitamins, which are meant to supplement rather than replace healthy diets, include folic acid, iron and calcium.

Folic acid can reduce the risk of a baby suffering from a serious birth defect such as spina bifida. Calcium taken during a pregnancy can prevent an expectant mother from losing her own bone density while the fetus uses the mineral for bone growth. Iron improves the ability of the mother’s and baby’s blood to carry oxygen.

The prenatal vitamins also include vitamins A, C, D and others.