As a nurse in the NICU, I saw my fair share of heartbreaking stories. Watching a new mom look down at her new perfect baby and know that he may not survive because of a birth defect would break my heart. These are the parts of nursing that I could never get used to. Birth defects in a baby can happen for a number of reasons. But there are ways to help prevent birth defects during pregnancy.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in every 33 babies who are born in the United States are affected by birth defects. This number is alarming! Especially since there are ways that we can prevent certain birth defects.
How Can YOU Prevent Birth Defects During Pregnancy
There’s many ways that you can prevent birth defects during pregnancy. Eating healthy, taking multi-vitamins that include the recommended dose of folic acid, stop smoking and/or drinking. But one of the most important things that you can do to prevent birth defects during pregnancy is to wash your hands with soap and water. I know that it sounds silly, but we carry so many germs on our hands that can spread infections. Some of these infections that women can get before and during pregnancy can hurt both the mom and baby. This can lead to birth defects which can cause lifelong disabilities like learning disabilities and hearing loss. By simply washing your hands we can all help prevent these germs from spreading.
You also want to make sure that you always handle foods safely. Wash your hands before preparing or eating food. You also want to wash all knives, utensils, cutting boards, and dishes that were used to prepare raw meat, fish or poultry before they come into contact with other foods.
And this is a biggie. Do not put a young child’s food, utensils, drinking cups, or pacifiers in your mouth. I know it’s tempting to quickly clean a pacifier off by popping it in your mouth, but this can cause more harm than good.
January Is National Birth Defects Prevention Month
January is a great time to raise awareness about birth defects and how we can all help prevent birth defects during pregnancy. Please remember that not all birth defects are preventable. I don’t want anyone to who’s baby was born with a birth defect that it was there fault. Sometimes, things happen that can’t be prevented. I just want you to know that there are ways to prevent some birth defects and washing your hands is one of the best ways to do that.
The March of Dimes is the national leader for the health of moms and babies. They want as many babies as possible to have the best start possible. That’s why they provide provide educational resources and support to families and communities. You can learn more about ways to protect yourself and your baby at www.MarchOfDimes.org/protect.