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By these ways we could prevent or reduce the risk of birth defects in the newborn
Posted on: 11/Aug/2018 10:34:21 AM
Every pregnant woman wants to give birth to a baby that is hale and healthy. There are times when baby is born with some defects that would make the parents depressed. It is said that genetic plus other factors like habits of the parents, environmental could contribute to birth defects in the newborns. There are two types of birth defects namely structural and functional defects.
Defects that affect the structural parts are termed as structural defects. Examples are neural tube defects, cleft lip and palate, spina bifida etc. Some defect affect the function of the body parts and these are called as functional defects. Developmental disabilities like sensory issues, degenerative disorders etc are caused due to functional defects. It is important to reduce or prevent birth defects in newborns.
By these ways we could prevent or reduce the risk of birth defects in the newborns.
Planning everything before itself:
Planning the pregnancy beforehand if possible would be good as it would give sufficient time to take precautions against the birth defects and doctor could be consulted. The history of birth defects in the family would be asked by the doctor. There would be increased risk of newborn with birth defects if any woman in the family gave birth to newborns with defects.
Folic acid intake is important:
Birth defects related to nervous system and brain could be reduced by regular consumption of folic acid by the pregnant mothers. This intake of folic acid must be done before pregnancy itself as it would be highly effective. By this intake the neural tube defects could be avoided or reduced.
Say no to alcohol:
Apart from causing many health issues this alcohol consumption could also lead to birth defects in the newborns. Fetal alcohol syndrome is one major birth defect caused by alcohol intake by pregnant women. Other issues like miscarriages and stillbirths are also due to intake of alcohol.
Avoid smoking:
Not only men smoke but also women. This smoking is dangerous for both pregnant woman and her baby. It is said that smoking could result in the premature babies, babies with low weight than the normal etc. Birth defects like cleft palate also occur in newborns.
Have good health:
This is also one important way to prevent or reduce the birth defects in the newborns. The health of a mother is related to the health of the baby. Intake of healthy food at a regular time is essential. To be stress free, yoga and meditation would be helpful for the pregnant mothers as stress free mothers could only give birth to a healthy baby.
Avoid infections:
Not many are aware of the fact that some infections that happen during pregnancy could lead to birth defect in the newborns. Sometimes infections like genital herpes etc could lead to retardation, learning disabilities, hearing impairment etc in the newborns. So be careful.
Immunization is must:
This is also one effective method to avoid or reduce birth defects in newborns. By immunization the pregnant mothers would have resistance against the diseases. The immune system of the newborns would be t tremendous.
Never do self medication:
Sometimes the pregnant woman might do self medication and not consult a doctor. The medicines sometimes could result in birth defects in the newborn babies. Consulting the doctor is a must no matter how small the issue is.
