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Preventing Birth Defects
10 Ways to Prepare Your Body
for Pregnancy
for Pregnancy
By Kelly Burgess
Research shows that many birth defects can be prevented with a little advance planning, so planning for a healthy baby should start well before the process of conception. This is important knowledge for all women of childbearing age because, according to the March of Dimes, half of all pregnancies, even in marriage, are unplanned.
While not all birth defects can be prevented, here are the top 10 ways to prepare your body for pregnancy:
All women of childbearing age should take folic acid supplements at least three months before becoming pregnant. It's important because insufficient levels of folate have been implicated as the cause of one common class of birth defects, neural tube defects (the most common of these being spina bifida). These defects occur very early in the pregnancy, well before the woman's first prenatal appointment, which is generally scheduled for about 10 weeks.
However, don't go overboard with the supplements; too much is also not good. Siobhan Dolan, associate medical director of the March of Dimes, says a multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid is sufficient.
There's a growing movement to make the preconception visit standard for every woman of childbearing age.
Dr. John R. Sussman, an OB/GYN in private practice in New Milford, Conn., and author of Before You Conceive: The Complete Pregnancy Guide (Bantam, 1989), says his primary interest in encouraging pre-pregnancy visits is so pre-pregnancy care can be individualized for each woman. This is particularly important for women with chronic health conditions.
The cause of most birth defects isn't known, but couples with a history of birth defects in their family may benefit from genetic screening to analyze their risk of passing on a birth defect to their child.
Michele Clemens, a genetic counselor at Magee Women's Hospital in Oakland, Pa., says a typical session includes a review of the family history and performing a few tests to rule out specific diseases. This is an excellent tool for helping a couple make informed decisions.
