|
A birth defect, also called a congenital anomaly, is a health problem or structural change present at birth. This problem or change can affect any part of a child’s body including how they may look, how their body works, or both and can range from being mild to a very serious health issue. A birth defect can development during any stage of pregnancy, but most develop within the first 3 months of a baby’s development. Your doctor might be able to detect a birth defect before your baby is born, but sometimes birth defects aren’t detected until after birth or even years later.
We don’t always understand what causes a birth defect to occur, but some causes include medication side effects, substance or chemical exposure, pregnancy complications, and genetic factors. These causes can increase your risk for a birth defect to occur during pregnancy but many causes are out of your control and there’s nothing you can do to prevent them. This month, we’re going to look at things you can control in your life and health to help lower the risk of a birth defect occurring both through the importance of your own health and through things you should focus on doing or not doing while you’re pregnant.
Your own health as a woman can play a part in lowering the risk of your baby developing a birth defect and help prevent the development of complications during your pregnancy. The importance of your own health related to your pregnancy even starts before you become pregnant. If you’re planning on becoming pregnant, you should take the time to check on your own health with your doctor. If necessary, you should focus on making changes to improve your health and ensure your health is stable, especially if you have a chronic condition, prior to becoming pregnant in addition to focusing on your health during your pregnancy.
If you have a chronic condition like diabetes prior to becoming pregnant, either type 1 or 2, you should make sure your diabetes is well controlled before becoming pregnant. If it isn’t, you should try to make changes to your diet and/or lifestyle to do so. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to pregnancy complications and the possible development of birth defects which can be dangerous for both you and your unborn child. According to the CDC, uncontrolled diabetes can increase the risk of health problems like stillbirth and preterm birth as well as complications such as preeclampsia. By talking with your doctor and focusing on eating a healthy diet, exercising, and taking medication properly for your diabetes, you can work to control your diabetes and keep it well controlled. And during your pregnancy, it’s important to continue to monitor your diabetes by checking your blood sugar and keeping up with eating healthy, exercising, and recommended medication. This can help reduce your risk of health problems, pregnancy complications, and the development of birth defects for your baby.
You can also help reduce your risk for pregnancy complications and health issues by prioritizing your weight. Being overweight or obese prior to becoming pregnant and during your pregnancy can increase your risk of developing health issues like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes or complications like stillbirth and the need for a cesarean delivery. You can help to reduce your risk by reaching a healthy weight through diet and exercise prior to becoming pregnant. And while during pregnancy it is important to gain a healthy amount of weight as your body changes and your baby grows, gaining too much weight could potentially lead to health issues or complications for yourself and your baby. Talk with your doctor about what a healthy weight is for you prior to becoming pregnant and what a healthy amount of weight gain looks like for you during your pregnancy.
Another health priority to focus on is high blood pressure or a cardiac condition. Having these conditions prior to pregnancy, especially if you are not managing them with your doctor(s), could also lead to pregnancy complications for you and your baby like low birth weight, eclampsia, and stroke. With help from your OB/GYN, primary care provider, and cardiologist (if you have one), you can plan how to successfully manage your blood pressure or cardiac condition prior to becoming pregnant and plan how you’ll continue to manage it while you are pregnant to help reduce the risk of complications and issues for yourself and your baby.
Your health and the state of your health contribute to the health of your baby as they develop and grow during pregnancy. Having an uncontrolled or unmanaged health issue prior to becoming pregnant can increase the risk of a birth defect or pregnancy complication, but by focusing on your health prior to becoming pregnant and working to maintain your health throughout your pregnancy, you can helps reduce these risks.
| 
