Around 1 in 33 babies in the US are born with birth defects, according to the March of Dimes. Many of these defects are caused by genetics, but some are caused by environmental factors before and during pregnancy, and so they can be prevented. Since January is Birth Defects Prevention Awareness Month, we’d like to suggest some simple steps expecting mothers can take to help prevent birth defects and keep their little ones as healthy as possible.
A few steps expecting mothers can take:

1. Find an OBGYN to provide prenatal care. Regular checkups will ensure your baby is doing well, and a doctor can give you advice and tests that will improve your baby’s chances of good health. If you don’t have a gynocologist, you can find one using our physician finder. You can also view all OBGYN doctors that are in our physician finder here. If possible, it helps to get a pre-conception check up as well so you can be screened for potential risks.
2. Don’t drink alcohol. Fetal alcohol exposure is one of the most preventable causes of birth defects, and yet it is surprisingly still a leading cause. Alcohol drinking during pregnancy can lead to spontaneous abortion, growth deficiencies, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems. As this article on fetal alcohol exposure states, “there is no known safe amount of alcohol that a woman can drink while pregnant.” Simply put, just don’t drink if you’re expecting.
3. Take a prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid. Folic acid reduces the risk of serious birth defect, called neural tube defect (NTD), by 70% according to the March of Dimes. Spina bifida is the most common NTD. As an added benefit, taking folic acid possibly reduces the mother’s risk for heart disease. Read more on folic acid here.
4. Maintain a healthy weight before pregnancy. Again, obesity during pregnancy can lead to an NTD, as well as issues with the pregnancy including gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and more. Read more about obesity in pregnancy here.
5. Practice a healthy pregnancy diet. Eat healthy, don’t eat undercooked meat, and don’t eat fish that contain high mercury levels. The March of Dimes recommendation on a healthy pregnancy diet can be found here.

Have a happy and healthy pregnancy! Also, you should consider having your baby in our new hospital’s birthing center. Check out the new hospital features, including details on the birthing center here.