Did you know that January is Birth Defects Prevention Month? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every 4 ½ minutes a baby is born with a birth defect in the United States. That means about 120,000 babies are affected by birth defects each year.
Birth defects are health conditions that are present at birth. They change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body and can cause problems in overall health. Although birth defects can occur during any stage of pregnancy, most occur in the first 3 months of pregnancy, when a baby’s organs are forming. Not all birth defects can be prevented, but there are things you can do to help you have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.
In an effort to spread the word about this very important topic, March of Dimes will participate in a Twitter Chat on January 23rd at 3PM EST. The National Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative will be hosting, and panelists include:
- CDC
- National Birth Defects Prevention Network
- MotherToBaby
- Teratology Society
- Texas Children’s Hospital
- UNC Center for Maternal and Infant Health
- Department of Health and Human Services
- National Institute of Health
- Salud America
- Moms Rising/Mamás Con Poder
We are excited to join with these great partners and organizations to talk about healthy behaviors all women can adopt to increase their chances of having a healthy baby. So mark your calendars and make sure you participate, retweet and let others who might be interested know!
Make sure you follow along using #Best4YouBest4Baby. For more information visit: http://showyourlovetoday.com/best4youbest4baby/