Some of the most important things a woman can do to help prevent birth defects are done before pregnancy begins. They all begin with a visit to the doctor and taking a multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid daily as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

     Each year, more than 120,000 babies are born with serious birth defects that can mean a lifetime disability.  That’s why the March of Dimes is placing increased emphasis on educating women about the importance of prenatal care.  The organization has enlisted the help of celebrity spokespersons Thalia and Heather Headley to encourage women, especially in the Hispanic and Black communities, to get a preconception checkup. 

     According to the March of Dimes, women thinking about becoming pregnant should talk with their health care providers to find out what they need to know about:

1.       Diabetes, high blood pressure, infections or other
           health problems.
2.       Medicines, home remedies or douching.
3.       Taking a multivitamin pill with folic acid in it each day.
4.       Getting to a healthy weight before pregnancy.
5.       Smoking, drinking alcohol and illegal drugs.
6.       Unsafe chemicals or other things to avoid at work
           and at home.
7.       Lowering stress levels.
8.       Waiting time between pregnancies.
9.       Family history, including premature births.

     Birth defects of the brain and spine, known as Neural Tube Defects (NTD) such as spina bifida and anencephaly, are among the most serious types of birth defects. To help prevent NTDs, all women who can become pregnant should take a multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day beginning before pregnancy, as part of a healthy diet containing foods fortified with folic acid and foods that naturally contain folic acid, such as leafy green vegetables, and beans.

     “Parents are usually quite eager to learn about prevention when they have experienced the distress of a preterm or sick newborn,” said Beth McBurney White; March of Dimes Ohio Chapter Program Services Chair, and Clinical Nurse Specialist for the Myelomeningocele (spina bifida) Clinic  at Mercy Children's Hospital in Northwest Ohio.  “Studies show that, if all women consumed the recommended amount of folic acid before and during early pregnancy, up to 70 percent of all NTDs could be prevented,” she added.

     Daily consumption of folic acid beginning before pregnancy is crucial because NTDs occur in the early weeks after conception, often before a woman knows she is pregnant.

     Birth defects are also often related to premature birth, which has increased 33 percent since 1983.  In 2003, the March of Dimes launched a major national campaign to fund research to find the causes and to reduce the incidence of premature birth, currently at 12.3 percent, to the Healthy People 2010 national goal of 7.6 percent.