Women of reproductive age need 400 mcg of folic acid every day, increased to 600 mcg daily during pregnancy.²September 12-18 is Folic Acid Awareness week with the National Birth Defects Prevention Network. This is a great time to highlight the importance of folic acid during pregnancy and specifically, before you become pregnant.
Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common type of birth defect. 1 out of 4 babies born with CHD will need surgery due to critical defects. What are Infant Congenital Heart Defects? Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common type of birth defect. They can...
Birth defects affect babies all over the world. A birth defect is a structural change to a baby’s body part, inside or outside the body.
Birth defects happen as a result of: genetics, infection, exposure to an environmental toxin like radiation, or exposure to an internal toxin, like drugs, medication, alcohol, or smoking. They can also happen as a result of poor diet (low in folic acid) or uncontrolled blood sugar (Diabetes diagnosis or chronic high blood sugar).
Every woman carries the risk of having a baby with a birth defect. This is called a background risk. The background risk for every woman is 3-5%. Yet, every woman can be proactive in reducing additional risk to her baby.
