How to Keep Your Unborn Baby Healthy ?

Birth defects can affect the way that a baby appears and performs. In India, one of 33 infants is born with an anomaly in the birth.

Birth defects can occur when the baby is growing within the womb. Certain medicines, chemicals, and medications can also increase the chance of having birth defects. From 15 until 60 days pregnancy (during the initial trimester) major organs begin to develop.

This is the time when your baby is at the highest risk to the negative effects of teratogens and birth defects that are severe. So to help you prevent yourself. We are here with a list of some things which you can avoid to prevent your child from birth defects.

1) Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the main causes of birth defects in pregnancy. Based on the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the CDC states that there is no established limit to the amount of alcohol you can drink in pregnancy or when trying to become pregnant.

There is also no secure period during pregnancy to drink alcohol. Alcohol of any kind is equally harmful, which includes all beer and wine.

It could take between four to six weeks before a test is able to confirm pregnancy, therefore it's recommended to quit drinking alcohol as soon as you cease birth control and begin trying to get pregnant. Alcohol can affect the development of your fetus in these first stages.

2) Stop Smoking

It is recommended to quit smoking cigarettes before becoming pregnant. However, for a pregnant parent who smokes it's never too late to give up. The baby born to a smoker parent during pregnancy can suffer from:

• Cleft lip
• Cleft palate
• Intrauterine growth restriction
• Stillbirth
• Preterm labor

Nicotine is known to damage the brain of a baby's developing lungs. It's 15% more prevalent within the bloodstream of the fetus compared to the blood of the mother who is pregnant.

The greater the amount parents smoke the higher the chance of developing a restriction in intrauterine growth.

3) Quit Marijuana and Drugs

The CDC cautions against recreational drugs during pregnancy as they are linked to preterm birth and low birth weight and birth defects that are not always obvious.

Marijuana is the most frequently used recreational drug. There is increasing evidence linking the use of marijuana during pregnancy to neurological issues in children later. This could be due to impulsivity or hyperactivity, as well as difficulties in visual and abstract understanding.

Research suggests that children who had parents who used marijuana when expecting are at a higher risk to be aggressive and anxious between the ages of between 3 and 6.

4) Check for Infections

Certain illnesses during pregnancy could cause birth defects. A lot of infections can be avoided with regular washing of your hands and thoroughly cooking the food. Additionally, certain vaccines can protect people from illnesses which can cause birth defect. You can contact your doctor for the same. He/She would suggest you the best way to handle the same.

5) Discuss with your doctor for medication

A variety of medications can cause adverse reactions that may affect the pregnancy. There are very few medications that are considered to be beneficial. For this you should contact your doctor and get suggestions from him.

6) Supplements With Folic Acids

Folate, also known as folic acid, is a B vitamin. In the course of pregnancy there is a requirement for folate and its need can increase between five to ten times due to the fact that the vitamin gets transferred into the foetus.

Folate deficiencies are difficult to spot during pregnancy even a healthy person might experience it. It is important to note that green leafy vegetables are rich in folate.

Since half of all births in India are unplanned and folate deficiencies can impact a fetus's development early, before the person is aware that they're expecting-the CDC suggests that all women who are able to conceive (between 15 to 45) should consume 400 micrograms of folate every day. Most prenatal vitamins have higher amounts of folate (600 or 1000 micrograms).