How women in El Paso can increase their awareness of preventing birth defects
EL PASO, Texas -- One in 33 babies born in the United States this year will have some kind of birth defect. January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, so if you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant, here are some tips to prevent birth defects. ABC-7 spoke to Dr. Aaron Poole, an OB/GYN with Las Palmas/Del Sol Healthcare.
"Birth defects are structural anomalies present at birth that can affect almost any part of the body," said Dr. Poole. "Major congenital anomalies, or birth defects, complicate 2 to 4% of births. Birth defects can range from mild to serious conditions and affect overall health. Birth defects may require medication and/or surgery, or shorten quality of life or life expectancy."
Dr. Poole also discussed some common birth defects. "Congenital heart defects are the most common major birth defect. Other anomalies include development issues of the spine which includes things like spina bifida or anencephaly, limb abnormalities like club foot, and defects of the face including cleft lip and palate."
While not all birth defects are preventable, Dr. Poole says there are several things a mother-to-be can do to reduce the risks. "Being at an optimum weight prior to pregnancy decreases the risk for birth defects. Avoiding alcohol and tobacco along with other illegal substances reduces the risk. If you have certain medical conditions like diabetes, having good control prior to pregnancy improves the chance of having a healthy baby. Certain medications should be stopped when trying to conceive or shortly after getting pregnant. In addition, taking at least 400 micrograms of folic acid for at least 3 months prior to pregnancy reduces the chance of neural tube defects including spina bifida. One should avoid saunas in the first trimester and changing cat litter while pregnant."
