January is: National Birth Defects Prevention Month

When we’re pregnant, we dream of the perfect baby. Most of us say we don’t care what sex the baby is, we just want him or her to be healthy. But, babies not only come with their own personalities, they also come with the little things that make them who they are. And for some, that’s with something that’s considered a defect.

A defect doesn’t have to be anything life threatening. One of my brothers was born with six toes on each foot. When I was working at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, I had some little boys who had surgery for an undescended testicle. These are still considered defects, because they’re outside of the norm.

But other defects are more serious. We can do what we can to prevent some, but not all are preventable. Months like this are meant to help women (and men) think about the roles we can play in helping reduce some of the preventable birth defects.

According to a pamphlet put out by the Centers of Disease Control, Preventing Birth Defects, the best place to start is with the simple things before, as well as during, pregnancy:

• Take a vitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.
• Wash your hands often throughout the day to avoid infections
• Visit your doctor or midwife regularly for check ups and to discuss any concerns
• Only take medications, including over-the-counter if this has been okayed by your healthcare provider
• Avoid any harmful substances either at home or at work (gases, x-rays, second hand smoke, etc)
• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet
• Avoid alcohol, smoking and street drugs

To learn more about birth defects, you can visit the March of Dimes website.

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Tags: pregnancy blog, march of dimes, birth defects