Preventing Birth Defects

Research shows that many birth defects can be prevented with a little advance planning, so planning for a healthy baby should start well before the process of conception. This is important knowledge for all women of childbearing age because, according to the March of Dimes, half of all pregnancies, even in marriage, are unplanned.

While not all birth defects can be prevented, here are the top 10 ways to prepare your body for pregnancy:

All women of childbearing age should take folic acid supplements at least three months before becoming pregnant. It's important because insufficient levels of folate have been implicated as the cause of one common class of birth defects, neural tube defects (the most common of these being spina bifida). These defects occur very early in the pregnancy, well before the woman's first prenatal appointment, which is generally scheduled for about 10 weeks.

However, don't go overboard with the supplements; too much is also not good. Siobhan Dolan, associate medical director of the March of Dimes, says a multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid is sufficient.

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