Women who plan to become pregnant need to follow some methods to reduce the risk of having a child with a birth defect. The birth defect may appear when the child grows in the womb, and it may affect appearance, organ function, and physical and mental development. Most birth defects appear during the first three months of pregnancy, when Organs are still forming, not all birth defects can be prevented, but you can increase your chances of having a healthy baby by adopting healthy behaviors before and during pregnancy, according to what was published by the site ” healthychildren“.
1. Daily folic acid:
Make sure you take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. It helps prevent some major birth defects in a baby’s brain and spine (anencephaly and spina bifida). These birth defects develop very early during pregnancy when the neural tube that makes up the brain and cord doesn’t close. If the spinal cord is correct, you need to start taking folic acid at least a month before conception and continue during pregnancy.
2. Medical follow-up:
If you are planning to become pregnant, discuss your current medications with your doctor. Developing a treatment plan for your pre-pregnancy health condition can help keep you and your baby healthy. It is also important to see your doctor regularly throughout your pregnancy..
3. Vaccination:
Vaccines help protect you and your child from serious diseases, get the flu shot and whooping cough vaccine (Tdap) During all pregnancy to help protect yourself and your baby.
Flu: You can get the flu shot before or during pregnancy.
Whooping cough: You can get the whooping cough vaccine in the third trimester of pregnancy.
4 healthy weight before pregnancy
A woman who was obese before pregnancy is at greater risk of complications during pregnancy. Obesity increases a pregnant woman’s risk of many serious birth defects, and she should talk to her doctor about ways to reach a healthy weight before pregnancy.
5 Quit smoking:
The risks of smoking during pregnancy include premature birth, some birth defects (a cleft lip or cleft palate) and infant death. It is best to quit smoking before pregnancy to protect against some health problems for the baby, such as low birth weight.
