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.
Being at and maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects as well. Using drugs, smoking and drinking alcohol cause birth defects - among other problems, such as low birth weight - as well. There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy, either. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are 100 percent preventable when no alcohol is drunk during pregnancy. Healthy habits such as hand-washing and vaccinations can keep expectant moms from getting fetus-damaging infections. A balanced, nutritious diet helps, along with avoiding certain foods that may harm the baby, such as unpasteurized dairy products, undercooked foods and prepackaged deli meats. Half of pregnancies are unplanned, so this year, make it a resolution to be prepared to have a healthy baby.