How to Prevent Birth Defects During Pregnancy

Birth defects (congenital malformations) occur when part of a baby’s body does not grow or develop correctly during pregnancy. The most common birth defects are defects of the heart, brain, spine, spinal cord (neural tube defects), and Down syndrome.

Some birth defects have little impact on your baby as he or she grows. Others can lead to more severe, lifelong (chronic) disabilities. Birth defects can affect your baby physically, mentally, and emotionally and can impact learning abilities.

What can cause or increase my baby’s risk for birth defects?

The following factors increase your risk for having a baby with a birth defect:

• Living in a low-income family or community.
• Not taking prenatal vitamins.
• Not eating bread or grain products with added folic acid (fortified).
• Being related by blood to the father of the baby.

Most birth defects have no known cause. However, the following factors can either cause or increase your baby’s risk for birth defects:

• Genes that you or the father pass along to your baby.
• Abnormal changes in genes as your baby grows during pregnancy.
• Infections during or shortly before pregnancy, such as syphilis, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, Zika, influenza, or rubella.
• Eating an unhealthy diet that lacks important nutrients, specifically iodine and folate.
• Getting too much vitamin A.
• Certain medicines.
• Drinking alcohol, smoking, or using street drugs during pregnancy.
• Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.
• Exposure to poisons (toxins) such as radiation, certain chemicals, lead, or mercury.

What are common disabilities among children with birth defects?

Babies born with birth defects commonly have one or more of the following:

• Physical defects, such as:
  • Heart defects.
  • Cleft lip or cleft palate.
  • Deformity of the bones and spine.
  • Muscle or organ defects.
• Developmental delays, such as:
  • Learning and thinking disabilities.
  • Social and emotional delays.
  • Speech and language delays.
  • Motor delays, such as sitting up or crawling much later than other babies of the same age.
• Behavioral problems.
• Vision or hearing impairment, including blindness or deafness.

What steps can I take to protect my baby from developing a birth defect?

If you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, take the following steps to lower your baby’s risk of a defect:

Eat a healthy diet

• Take prenatal vitamins and eat foods that contain folic acid. Get at least 400 mcg of folic acid daily.
• Eat a variety of healthy foods, such as:
  • Whole grain breads and cereals that are fortified with folic acid.
  • Fish that is low in mercury, such as salmon, trout, sardines, shrimp, or canned tuna.
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Low-fat, low-cholesterol meats such as skinless chicken or lean pork.
• Cook meat and fish well. Wash your hands after handling raw fish or meat.
• Do not eat or drink unpasteurized dairy products, including soft cheeses.

Live a healthy lifestyle

• Do not drink alcohol or use illegal drugs.
• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco, such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Manage your weight gain during pregnancy.

Protect yourself from infections

• Wear insect repellent. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist which insect repellents are safe to use during pregnancy.
• Wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
• When changing diapers or helping children use the toilet, wear latex gloves.
• Avoid cat litter. Cats can spread an infection (toxoplasmosis) through their feces.
• When gardening or digging in soil, wear gloves.
• Stay up-to-date on your vaccinations.
  • Make sure you have had your rubella and Tdap vaccinations.
  • Get a flu shot every year. It is safe to get the flu shot while you are pregnant.

Talk with your health care provider

• If you are planning to become pregnant, talk with your health care provider.
• Get pregnancy care (prenatal care) as soon as you think you are pregnant.
• Work with your health care provider to manage any conditions you have, such as diabetes.
• Talk with your health care provider about whether your medicines or supplements are safe to take during pregnancy.
• Talk with a genetic counselor about your risk of passing on birth defects or genetic conditions.

Avoid risks in your environment

• Avoid radiation.
  • Before getting an X-ray, tell the X-ray technician that you are pregnant.
  • If you are exposed to radiation, wear protection or move away from the radiation.
• Find out whether any of the chemicals or dust where you work are unsafe during pregnancy. Work with your employer to avoid dangerous chemicals during pregnancy.
• Avoid mercury. Do not eat fish that contains a lot of mercury or may contain mercury.
• Avoid lead.
  • Check the lead levels in your drinking water.
  • Avoid old paint dust or paint chips that may contain lead.

Where to find support

For more support:

• Talk with your health care provider. He or she can recommend a support group.
• Consider joining a support group for families living with birth defects.

Where to find more information

Visit the following websites to learn more about preventing birth defects.

• March of Dimes: www.marchofdimes.org  
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects  
• American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org  
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.hhs.gov  

Summary

• Some birth defects are passed from parent to child (inherited). Talk with a genetic counselor about birth defects or genetic conditions that have occurred in your family or your partner’s family.
• During pregnancy, you can take many steps to prevent birth defects and have a healthy pregnancy. See a health care provider and start prenatal care as soon as you know you are pregnant.
• Most birth defects do not have a known cause. If your baby is born with a birth defect, try not to blame yourself or your partner. If you feel guilt, shame, or sadness, talk with your health care provider.