Birth+Defects+CC

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Birth defects among babies cause up to 20 percent of infant deaths. While some birth defects are not preventable, some are. Therefore we should do everything we can to prevent birth defects. Here are a few ways woman can help prevent birth defects.

Women how have chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or epilepsy should talk to their doctors when they become aware that they are pregnant to see if a different medication or dosage of their medication may be needed.

If a woman who is pregnant can avoid the following things, this while decrease the risk of her baby having birth defects.

The first thing for women to prevent is Alcohol & Street Drugs

NO alcohol is safe for the developing fetus. When a pregnant woman drinks, alcohol passes through the placenta and reaches the baby. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation in the United States. When a pregnant woman does drugs, they are taken to the baby by the blood stream through the umbilical chord.

Tobacco should also be avoided when pregnant. In the US about 1 in 8 women smoke during pregnancy, which may lower the oxygen getting to the baby, causing growing to slow down. Smoking also increases the risk of oral clefts, which are birth defects to the mouth or facial region of the baby. It has been proven than women who smoke while pregnant are almost twice as likely to have babies with oral clefts. Pregnant women who don’t smoke should avoid even other peoples smoke as often as possible.

All women should talk to their doctors about taking medicine while pregnant. Certain medicines, such as accutane, can cause serious birth defects of the brain, head, or face if taken in the beginning stages of pregnancy.

Women who are of childbearing age can avoid certain infectious diseases by keeping up to date with all immunizations and by using good hygiene. If a women lacks to do either of these, it is possible that the mother may get a disease and show little or no symptoms at all, and these diseases could be deadly to the unborn fetus.

Pregnant women should also avoid anything toxic, including fumes from gas, paints, paint thinner, and pesticides. They should also avoid lead in some paints, and any contaminated water.

These are all examples of helping to prevent birth defects in one’s child. While these do not completely eliminate any birth defects, they have proven to decrease the risk.