Iowa Tracking Program

Birth Defects Prevention

You can do many things to help yourself have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby:

Plan your pregnancy

· See your health care provider before you become pregnant.

· Control any medical condition (obesity, diabetes, seizures, etc.) before getting pregnant.

· Take a vitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid daily before and during pregnancy.

Take care of yourself

· Get plenty of rest.

· Exercise moderately.

· Eat a well-balanced diet.

· Avoid contact with chemicals and other things in the home and workplace that may harm an unborn baby.

· Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and street drugs.

· Talk with your health care provider before taking any over-the-counter drugs.

If you are planning to get pregnant or you are already pregnant, one of the most important things you can do is see your health care provider. Prenatal, or before birth, care can help find some problems early in pregnancy so that they can be monitored or treated before birth. Some problems might be avoided with prenatal care.