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Want to Know More?
What Steps Can Women Take
for Healthier Babies? • Ask your health care provider or local
health department how to plan for a healthy Impor t ant Inf orma tion
Import Informa ormation
Not all birth defects can be prevented. But baby.
a woman can increase her own chance of About...
having a healthy baby. Many birth defects • Call the March of Dimes Resource Center
happen very early in pregnancy, sometimes at 1-888-663-4637 (toll-free), or visit:
before a woman even knows she is www.modimes.org
pregnant. Remember that about half of
all pregnancies are unplanned. Therefore, • Call the Centers for Disease Control and
every woman should: Prevention (CDC) at 1-888-232-6789 (toll-
free), e-mail flo@cdc.gov, or visit:
Take a multivitamin that has 400 mcg www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid
of folic acid in it every day.
Have regular medical check-ups. • Call OTIS (Organization of Teratology
Information Services) at 1-888-285-3410
Talk to her health care provider about (toll-free) for a referral to the nearest
any medical problems and medicine use service or visit www.otispregnancy.org for
(both over-the-counter and
information about exposures during
prescription). Ask about avoiding any
substances at work or at home that pregnancy.
might be harmful to a developing baby.
• Call the Birth Defects Registry or Genetics
Keep vaccinations (shots) up-to-date. Program at your state health department.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat.
Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and street drugs.
While pregnant:
Preventing
Keep up these healthy habits.
Get early prenatal care and go to
The National Birth Defects Prevention Network
(NBDPN) is a national network of individuals
working at local, state, and national levels in birth
Birth Defects
every appointment.
defects surveillance, research, and prevention.
www.nbdpn.org/NBDPN
2002 version
What are Birth Defects? How Serious are Birth Defects? Better health care for
mothers with problems
Birth defects are abnormal conditions that Birth defects are a serious problem. One like diabetes or
happen before or at the time of birth. in 33 babies is born with a birth defect. seizures can improve
Some are mild–like an extra finger or toe. Many people believe that birth defects their chances of having
Some are very serious– only happen to other people. Birth defects healthy babies.
like a heart defect. They can and do happen in any family. About Immunization prevents
can cause physical, 120,000 babies born in the U.S. each year infections like German
mental, or medical prob- have birth defects. measles (rubella) that
lems. Some, like Down can harm unborn babies.
syndrome or sickle cell
anemia, are caused by
genetic factors. Others
are caused by certain
Did You Know?
drugs, medicines, or
chemicals. The causes of All women who could get pregnant
most birth defects are still a mystery. should get 400 micrograms (sometimes
Researchers are working hard to learn the written as 400 mcg or 0.4 mg) of folic
causes of birth defects so we can find acid every day to help prevent some
ways to prevent them. types of serious birth defects. Folic acid
is a B-vitamin that can reduce the risk of
birth defects of the brain and spine.
Did You Know?
Today, babies born with birth defects can
• Birth defects are the leading cause of What is the Good News? live longer and healthier lives. Special care
death in children less than 1 year of
The good news is that new ways of after birth and newborn screening tests can
age–causing one in every five deaths.
preventing and treating birth defects are help some of these babies.
• 18 babies die each day in the U.S. as being found.
Many states keep track
the result of a birth defect.
Genes that may cause birth defects are of how often and where
being found every day, providing hope birth defects happen.
• Defects of the heart and limbs are the
for new treatments and cures. Genetic Your state may be able
most common kinds of birth defects.
counseling can provide parents with to tell you about birth
information about their risks based on defects and services that
• Millions of dollars are spent every
family history, age, ethnic or racial may help you or some-
year for the care and treatment of
background, and other factors. one you know.
children with birth defects.
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