Precautions To Avoid Miscarriages and Birth Defects

Precautions To Avoid Miscarriages and Birth Defects

Avoid Miscarriages and Birth Defects

Are you pregnant or, hoping to be pregnant soon? Well, if yes then this is the time you should be extra careful in your eating and other habits. It’s a fact that you would not be able to find out if you are pregnant or not till about a month at the least. So, it is always better to start behaving appropriately before you plan to conceive. A woman should take care of her diet while the baby is in her womb and even after her delivery for at least a period of six months. Till about six months post-delivery, the baby gets the nutrition it needs from the mother. So, it is recommended that you be extra careful.

There are few grey areas where you should maintain strict discipline in order to define a safe life for your child.


Say No to Alcohol

While you are pregnant, try avoiding alcohol and drugs. Yes, it is an addiction. But, nevertheless try to avoid them for the future of your kid. Alcohol that enters your body also enters the bloodstream of your baby and, harms it. Remember, you baby is still developing and, any sort of small problem could develop into a major issue in later stages. For most mothers alcohol and drugs cause nausea and, so they won’t even consider it. For those of you who still wish for it during pregnancy, it is a strict no.


Folic Acid Intake

Folic acid is an important part of your body nutrition during pregnancy. So, try to take in as much folic acid as possible. Folic acid in the right amount prevents any kind of birth defects and issues from occurring in your body. Try to consider taking in folic acid even before you conceive. That is the right time to take up folic acid supplement. Taking folic acid once you are pregnant could prove to be too late. You never know when you would get pregnant, so the best thing would be to consider folic acid as part of your diet on a regular basis.


Other Precautions To Be Considered

A few precautions that should be considered while you are pregnant would include

  • Avoid peanuts while you are pregnant and for a period of 6 months post-delivery. Peanuts are found in your nipple creams and bottle milk. This causes maximum allergy to the kids. So, it is best to avoid peanuts while you are pregnant
  • While you are pregnant do not eat one type of food. It can cause nausea to the kid once it is born. It may also become a cause of allergy for the kid. So, avoid one type of food
  • Soft ripened cheese is another food that you must avoid while you are pregnant. This causes listeria that has caused too many miscarriages and birth defects
  • Avoid overdose of Vitamin A as it can cause a lot of birth defects. The best way to avoid Vitamin A would be to avoid eating liver while you are pregnant
  • Consider having iron and multivitamin supplement on a daily basis to avoid any complications during your pregnancy

It is very natural to crave for certain foods while you are pregnant. But, try to avoid those cravings, while you are pregnant or planning pregnancy, that cause birth defects or miscarriage

Reviewed By:

Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)

Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad