Health Tip:  Preventing Birth Defects
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(HealthDay News) -- Not all birth defects can be prevented, but a woman can take some actions that help her chances of having a healthy baby.  Many birth defects happen very early in pregnancy, sometimes before a woman even knows that she's pregnant.
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NEW YORK  - Mothers with low levels of  vitamin B12 in their blood are at increased risk of having an  infant with spina bifida -- a birth defect in which the spinal  cord fails to form properly, Dutch researchers report.
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NEW YORK  - Although all women of childbearing age are recommended to take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to prevent possible birth defects should they become pregnant, findings from two new studies indicate that most eligible women, especially those between 18 and 24 years of age, do not.
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Women who take folic acid supplements for at least a year before becoming pregnant can greatly reduce their risk of delivering a baby prematurely, researchers said on Thursday.
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Fortifying flour with folic acid to cut birth defects may lead to a range of health problems, warn scientists.
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NEW YORK  - Women with congenital heart disease who become pregnant face a heightened risk that their infant may be premature or not survive long, according to a report from the Netherlands.
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NEW YORK  - While women who take vitamin E  during pregnancy seem to lower their offspring's risk of asthma  in early childhood, intake of vitamin C may actually raise the  risk, according to a recent study by Scottish researchers.
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Unborn children may be at risk from the shampoos and hand lotions used by their pregnant mothers, it was claimed yesterday. A chemical commonly used in these toiletries can affect the growth of structures
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Doctors can cut the risk of cerebral palsy in half for very premature babies by giving their mothers magnesium sulfate just before they give birth
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Folic acid should be added to flour to cut the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida, experts have recommended.
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Adding folic acid to foods can significantly reduce the number of babies born with spina bifida and other birth defects, according to a new study by Canadian researchers.
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NEW YORK  - Consuming a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet during pregnancy seems to have a beneficial effect on blood flow in the fetus, Norwegian researchers report.
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NEW YORK  - Women who are underweight before they become pregnant are at heightened risk for suffering a miscarriage in the first trimester, a UK study shows, but taking vitamin supplements and eating fresh fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk.
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Doctors and their patients continue to face problems with a program designed to limit use of an acne medication that can cause birth defects if taken by pregnant women, a dermatology group said Monday.
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Mums-to-be told to get enough vitamin E as low levels during pregnancy increase the risk of childhood asthma.
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Fortifying foods such as flour and pasta with folic acid could significantly reduce the likelihood of babies being born with disabilities such as spina bifida, a study shows.
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Women with congenital heart  disease who become pregnant face a heightened risk that their  infant may be premature or not survive long, according to a  report from the Netherlands.