National Birth Defects Prevention Month

Every January we celebrate the New Year by toasting and cheering and spending time with family and friends. A lot of us even make a resolution—whether it’s finally cleaning out the garage, quitting smoking, going to that Pilates class every week, or just trying to be more positive. January is all about rejuvenation and rebirth. As a sign of rebirth, January ushers in a new date and with that in mind, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and The National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) declared January National Birth Defects Prevention Month.

The CDC says that 1 in 33 babies is born with a birth defect and 1 out of every 5 born with one of those defects perishes as a result, making birth defects the leading cause of death among newborns. The first year of life is a struggle for completely health babies but it is hardest for an infant struggling to cope with the most common defects: Down syndrome, heart problems, a cleft lip or palate, and spina bifida.

The NBDPN stresses that although genetic defects are possible when one or more of the parents have abnormalities in their genes, most of the children born with a defect do not have a family history of them and are essentially a surprise, but a lot of the common defects can be prevented if the mother takes precautions during pregnancy.

Recommended ways of helping your child develop fully and healthy while still in the womb are by abstaining from smoking and alcohol as well as keeping fit and becoming pregnant while at a comfortable weight suitable for your body type. Doctors do not want women dieting while carrying a child but to avoid a spike in blood sugar that can lead to gestational (acquired during pregnancy) diabetes by gaining a lot of unnecessary weight, they may want you to be mindful of your nutrition and body weight during pregnancy.

The theme for this year’s National Birth Defects Prevention Month is to raise awareness of diabetes in women who are of age to get pregnant. Having diabetes is a complication in itself and adding on top of that a fetus that needs a lot of nutrients and food can get stressful and dangerous if not kept in control. Even though the temptation to eat pickles dipped in chocolate sauce all hours of the day is what your hormones may be screaming, your physician can help you find ways to eat around your cravings and stay out of the danger zone for you and your baby.
If you have a medical condition, professionals advise mothers to stay on top of their medication and keep their course of treatment on track so a problem doesn’t arise with the mother’s health where the baby might be at risk (coming back to 2010's theme, mothers with diabetes are often a large risk for a fetus). Folic acid is a necessary supplement that many women should be taking daily even well before trying to get pregnant (and after) as it helps form the spine of the fetus as well as spur the development of the brain.
Avoid getting sick or developing any kind of infection during pregnancy, be extra careful to wash off any germs, stay away from strong toxins and chemicals in your home or workplace, and do not ingest a lot of caffeine if possible. These are some of the many ways you can protect yourself and your baby during the nine month gestation period.

Remember that not all birth defects are found immediately after birth. Physical deformities are easily caught but common heart defects (which affect almost one-third of infants born with a defect) are not realized until later posing a major threat to the child’s life. Even though all babies are cute and cuddly and precious no matter what deformity or struggle they happen to be born with, if you can try to prevent a harder life for your family, it’s worth a shot.

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Healthnews.com

National Birth Defects Prevention Month