With the start of the new year inevitably come resolutions. January is National Birth Defects Prevention month, and if your resolution is to get pregnant, then learning how to have the healthiest baby possible is important. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that one in 33 children is born with a birth defect, and one in five of those children dies as a result. Common defects include Down syndrome, cleft lip or palate, spina bifida, and heart problems. Having a healthy baby starts well before pregnancy, according to the March of Dimes. Folic acid is a B vitamin that prevents neural tube defects - the neural tube becomes the baby's spine and brain. But it only works when taken before and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, usually before a woman knows she's even pregnant.