January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month!

Posted On January 6, 2015
Categories Features

In observance of National Birth Defects Prevention Month, take a couple of minutes to learn about a few simple steps that can be followed to reduce the chances of birth defects. Then think about how to pass this knowledge on to the people you care about who may be thinking of starting a family.

Step One: The essential nutritional supplement to prevent a common birth defect

There is a common problem called neural tube defect that occurs in the first month of pregnancy. This is where something goes very wrong in the development of the spinal column. A simple nutritional supplement, 400 micrograms of folic acid taken daily, can prevent this birth defect from ever happening. Unfortunately, this birth defect occurs in the very first month of pregnancy. Many women don’t realize that they are pregnant until after the first month, when it is too late to add the folic acid supplements.

What to do: It is recommended that all women of childbearing age who are at any risk of becoming pregnant should plan ahead and take a folic acid supplement. It is the easiest and safest protection against birth defects.

Step Two: The important chemicals to avoid during pregnancy

Very small amounts of certain chemicals can cause very big problems for a baby developing during pregnancy. Most people know that alcohol, tobacco and many illegal recreational drugs can cause problems with fetal development. However, there are also a number of prescription and over the counter medications that can also create problems at different times during the pregnancy.  This can even include common over the counter pills like aspirin and Tylenol, and certain medicines to treat colds and flu. There are also risks for birth defects that can be created from a number of nutritional supplements and alternative medications that can be bought at the health food store, like ginseng, St. John’s Wort or large doses of Vitamin A. Likewise, you may want to make sure that your home, work and neighborhood environments aren’t exposing you to dangerous chemicals, like second hand cigarette smoke or toxic chemicals like lead or arsenic.

What to do: If you are pregnant or may become pregnant soon, sit down with your doctor and have a conversation about what chemicals in your medicine cabinet and in your environment you need to avoid for the protection of your baby. To help with knowledge about medications, you may also want to look at the web site for an organization called Mother to Baby, a service of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) that provides guidance on the medications to avoid during pregnancy. The address for that site is: http://www.mothertobaby.org

Step Three: Taking care of the body in which the baby is forming

It is estimated that about 1 out of every 33 babies will be born with some kind of birth defect in the US. Up to 1/3 of all of these will be a heart defect from preventable conditions. If a pregnant woman is overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) higher than 30, or has diabetes, it can significantly increase the risk of bearing a child that has a specific kind of heart defect. This is one of the reasons why doctors recommend that women who are well above their ideal weight try to slim down and get healthier before they try to get pregnant. It’s not just for the health and protection of the mother; it’s also for the health and protection of the baby.

What to do: If you are thinking of becoming pregnant soon, but have diabetes or are quite a bit above your ideal weight, take some time to have a conversation with your doctor about how you can improve your health before you get pregnant. It might be a good time and a good reason to make “better fitness” a part of your lifestyle.

Extra Credit: One last word of caution

Any woman considering getting pregnant should make sure that she has had all of her own childhood vaccinations, especially for Rubella. And when pregnant she should employ some extra caution about exposing herself to any diseases that can produce a very high fever. Both rubella and diseases that create a high fever can create an increased risk for some serious birth defects. A woman’s body has the amazing ability to create new life, so it is worth protecting and treating with the care it deserves.

(Thanks to the National Institute of Health, Consumer Reports, OTIS, and the National Birth Defects Prevention Network for the information in this article.)