Can birth defects be prevented?

Can birth defects be prevented?

Most babies born with birth defects are born to two parents with no apparent health problems or risk factors. However, some birth defects can be prevented. Here’s how:

1. Take at least 400mcg of folic acid daily for at least one month before getting pregnant and 600-800mcg during pregnancy. You can typically find this in prenatal vitamins, but check the dosage. Foods high in folic acid include some fortified cereals, lentils and dried beans/peas, nuts, avocado, dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, collard or turnip greens, okra, brussels sprouts, and asparagus) and citrus fruit and 100% juice. Getting enough folic acid can reduce the risk of your baby having a neural tube defect, like spina bifida, by as much as 70%, and reduce the risk of your baby getting an oral clefts by 25%.
2. Visit the doctor when planning to get pregnant and as soon as you think you are pregnant. It’s essential to visit the doctor regularly throughout your pregnancy (at least four times). They will conduct important tests on you and your baby which will help to identify any possible complications, and they can also tell you how to best take care of yourself and your unborn baby during this important time.
3. Avoid alcohol when pregnant. Since there is no known safe amount of alcohol to use during pregnancy, experts recommend not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum. Risks include miscarriage, stillbirth, and numerous physical, behavioral, and intellectual disabilities. The risks are greater the more you drink. Drinking heavily can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which leads to lifelong issues with poor growth, facial abnormalities, and learning and behavioral problems. You might have drunk alcohol before even realizing you’re pregnant. There is no need to worry unnecessarily as risks to your baby are likely to be low, but you should avoid further drinking.
4. Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand smoke (when you inhale smoke from person/s smoking near you). Exposure to smoke can cause cleft lip/palate and other dangers like preterm birth and infant death. It’s best to quit before getting pregnant, but if you are already pregnant and smoking, you can still protect your baby by quitting as soon as possible.
5. Prevent infections by frequent hand-washing with soap, thoroughly cooking meat, and avoiding people who are sick. You should also be active to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and if you are exposed, get treatment immediately. Infections can cause a range of birth defects.
6. Manage any adverse health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, stress and weight. Talk to your doctor about how you can do this before and during pregnancy. This will reduce your risk of having a child born with a birth defect or other poor health outcome.
7. Avoid toxic substances before and during pregnancy. This applies to both the men and women as it may increase the risk of a large range of birth defects that affect many aspects of the baby’s development, including his brain, spinal cord, urinary tract, heart, nervous system, among others.
8. Avoid certain medications, including prescription and over-the-counter medications and dietary or herbal products. Check with your doctor before getting pregnant or as early as possible in your pregnancy. They might be able to recommend an alternate that is compatible with pregnancy.

Take 250mcg of iodine daily when pregnant. You can typically find this in prenatal vitamins, but check the dosage. Foods high in iodine include iodized salt, seafood and dairy products. But don’t take too much. Taking too much or too little iodine can increase the risk of thyroid-related disorders and mental delays.

The following information on specific birth defects is provided courtesy of March of Dimes (adapted for Kosovo). For more information on these and other birth defects, visit March of Dimes’ website. (links to http://www.marchofdimes.org/complications/birth-defects-and-health-conditions.aspx)