January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month

Birth defects affect one in every 33 babies born in the United States and are a leading cause of infant mortality. Babies who survive and live with birth defects are at an increased risk for developing many lifelong physical, cognitive, and social challenges. 

Although not all birth defects can be prevented, all women who could become pregnant or are pregnant can lower their risk of having babies with birth defects by following some basic health guidelines throughout their reproductive years, such as:

• Do not eat raw or runny eggs or raw sprouts.
• Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and cheese and other foods made from them.
• Talk to your health care provider about what you can do to prevent infections like Zika virus.
• Make sure that you are up-to-date with vaccinations before getting pregnant.
• Talk to your health care provider about vaccinations that you should receive during pregnancy.
• Stay away from wild or pet rodents, live poultry, lizards and turtles, and do not clean cat litter boxes while pregnant.
• When mosquitoes and ticks are active, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outside.
• Use Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water.

The United States Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms (400mcg or .4mg) of folic acid daily to prevent up to 50-70 percent of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly.

For more information, visit http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/mch/cshn/birth-defects/index.html

National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month

July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month. U.S. CDC estimates that about 7,000 babies will be born with a cleft in the United States this year, a condition created when tissue in the baby’s upper lip or the roof of the mouth does not join together completely during pregnancy, leaving an opening in the roof of the mouth.

Clefts are usually repaired surgically in the first year of life, though many children require additional surgeries and treatments through adolescence to correct challenges to breathing, eating, or speech development. Individuals born with cleft lip or palate often need specialized dental or orthodontic care throughout their lives.

For more information, visit http://www.nccapm.org/ 

 

National Birth Defects Prevention Month

Birth defects are common, costly and critical.  In the United States, a baby is born with a birth defect every 4 ½ minutes. All women can make a PACT for birth defects prevention by Planning ahead, Avoiding harmful substances, Choosing a healthy lifestyle and Talking to your healthcare provider. Learn more: www.nbdpn.org/bdpm2016.php. 

July is National Cleft & Craniofacial Awareness & Prevention Month

Cleft lip and/or palate is the second most common birth defect in the United States with between 20 and 30 infants born in Maine each year. The Maine Cleft Lip & Palate Program provides hospital and home visits to families who have infants born with the birth defect of a cleft lip and/or cleft palate. The program completes feeding assessments and supplies special bottle systems. The program provides information and referrals for services and medical/dental treatment until the age of 21. Care coordination, clinical team care through two monthly clinics at Eastern Maine Medical Center and Maine Medical Center, parent to parent support and outreach education are included in the program’s services.

For more information: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/cshn/cleftlip-palate/index.html

Birth Defects

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month and this year’s theme is “Birth defects are common, costly, and critical.”

Every 4.5 minutes, a baby is born in the U.S. with a birth defect. Major birth defects are conditions present at birth that cause structural changes in one or more parts of the body. They can have a serious adverse effect on health, development, or functional ability. Babies who survive and live with birth defects are at increased risk for developing many lifelong physical, cognitive, and social challenges. Medical care and support services only scrape the surface of the financial and emotional impact of living with birth defects.

Not all birth defects can be prevented, but a woman can increase her own chances of having a healthy baby by managing health conditions and adopting healthy behaviors before becoming pregnant. This is important because many birth defects happen very early during pregnancy, sometimes before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Here are some steps a woman can take to get ready for a healthy pregnancy:

• consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily
• manage chronic maternal illnesses such as diabetes, seizure disorders, or phenylketonuria (PKU)
• reach and maintain a healthy weight
• talk to a health care provider about taking any medications, both prescription and over-the-counter
• avoid alcohol, smoking, and illicit drugs
• see a health care provider regularly
• avoid toxic substances at work or at home
• ensure protection against domestic violence
• know their family history and seek reproductive genetic counseling, if appropriate

For more information, visit http://go.usa.gov/Zd8w or http://go.usa.gov/Zd9x

Folic Acid Awareness

January 6-12 is National Folic Acid Awareness Week. Adequate folic acid intake is important for the prevention of birth defects.


Facts About Folic Acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid.


US CDC urges women to take 400 mcg of folic acid every day, starting at least one month before getting pregnant, to help prevent major birth defects of the baby's brain and spine.

Why folic acid is so important

Folic acid is very important because it can help prevent some major birth defects of the baby's brain and spine (anencephaly and spina bifida).

When to start taking folic acid

For folic acid to help prevent some major birth defects, a woman needs to start taking it at least one month before she becomes pregnant and while she is pregnant.

Every woman needs folic acid every day, whether she’s planning to get pregnant or not, for the healthy new cells the body makes daily. Think about the skin, hair, and nails. These – and other parts of the body – make new cells each day.

How a woman can get enough folic acid

There are two easy ways to be sure to get enough folic acid each day:

1. Take a vitamin that has folic acid in it every day.

Most multivitamins sold in the United States have the amount of folic acid women need each day. Women can also choose to take a small pill (supplement) that has only folic acid in it each day.

Multivitamins and folic acid pills can be found at most local pharmacy, grocery, or discount stores. Check the label to be sure it contains 100% of the daily value (DV) of folic acid, which is 400 micrograms (mcg).


2. Eat a bowl of breakfast cereal that has 100% of the daily value of folic acid every day.

Not every cereal has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for one that has “100%” next to folic acid.

Birth Defects Prevention

January 2013 is National Birth Defects Prevention Month! The theme is "Birth defects are common, costly, and critical.”

Birth defects affect 1 in every 33 babies born in the United States and are a leading cause of infant mortality. Put another way, Every 4.5 minutes, a baby is born with a birth defect. Major birth defects are conditions present at birth that cause structural changes in one or more parts of the body. They can have a serious, adverse effect on health, development, or functional ability. Babies who survive and live with birth defects are at increased risk for developing many lifelong physical, cognitive, and social challenges. Medical care and support services only scrape the surface of the financial and emotional impact of living with birth defects.

Not all birth defects can be prevented. But, a woman can increase her own chances of having a healthy baby, by managing health conditions and adopting healthy behaviors before becoming pregnant. This is important because many birth defects happen very early during pregnancy, sometimes before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Here are some steps a woman can take to get ready for a healthy pregnancy The good news is awareness efforts offer hope for reducing the number of birth defects in the future:

• consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily
• manage chronic maternal illnesses such as diabetes, seizure disorders, or phenylketonuria (PKU)
• reach and maintain a healthy weight
• talk to a health care provider about taking any medications, both prescription and over-the-counter
• avoid alcohol, smoking, and illicit drugs
• see a health care provider regularly
• avoid toxic substances at work or at home
• ensure protection against domestic violence
• know their family history and seek reproductive genetic counseling, if appropriate

Research and Tracking:

Accurately tracking birth defects is the first step in preventing them and reducing their effect. Birth defects tracking systems are vital to help us find out where and when birth defects occur and who they affect. This gives us important clues about preventing birth defects and allows us to evaluate our efforts. We base our research on what we learn from tracking. By analyzing the data collected, we can identify factors that increase or decrease the risk of birth defects and identify community or environmental concerns that need more study. In addition, research helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answer critical questions about the causes of many of these birth defects.

Birth Defects Prevention

January is Birth Defects Prevention Month. Major birth defects are conditions that cause structural changes in one or more parts of the body; are present at birth; and have a serious, adverse effect on health, development, or functional ability.

About one in every 33 babies is born with a birth defect. Birth defects are a leading cause of infant death, accounting for more than 1 of every 5 infant deaths. In addition, babies born with birth defects have a greater chance of illness and long term disability than babies without birth defects.  

Not all birth defects can be prevented. But a woman can increase her own chance of having a healthy baby. Many birth defects happen very early in pregnancy, sometimes before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Remember that about half of all pregnancies are unplanned. Here are some steps a woman can take to get ready for a healthy pregnancy:

• Take a vitamin with 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day.
• Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and street drugs.
• Keep hands clean by washing them often with soap and water to
• prevent infections.
• See a health care professional regularly.
• Talk with the health care professional about any medical problems and medicine use (both prescription and over-the-counter).
• Ask about avoiding any substances at work or at home that might be harmful to a developing baby.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
• Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and foods made from it.
• Avoid eating raw or under cooked meat.

While pregnant, keep up these healthy habits, get early prenatal care, and go to every appointment. For more information about preventing birth defects, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/index.html

January 8-14 is Folic Acid Awareness Week. CDC urges women to take 400 mcg of folic acid every day, starting at least one month before getting pregnant, to help prevent major birth defects of the baby's brain and spine by 50% to 70%. Folic acid is a B vitamin our bodies use to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For more information, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/index.html

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month

Birth defects affect approximately one in 33 newborns and are a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Congenital heart defects affect nearly 1% of all babies born in the US.

This year, National Birth Defects Prevention Month focuses on medication use before, during, and after pregnancy. This includes over-the-counter or prescription medications and herbal or dietary products, such as folic acid. Below you will find links that provide further information and materials to have a healthy pregnancy.

The Maine Birth Defects Program (MBDP) was established by law in 1999 and is designed to be a central source of information on the occurrence of birth defects in Maine. Check out these additional resources.