Creator: Dr. Trupti Shirole
Keywords: frequently asked questions about environmental birth defects, prevention of environmental birth defects, during pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, before conception

Written by Dr. Trupti Shirole, BAMS, CGO
Medically Reviewed by The Medindia Medical Review Team on Sep 26, 2014

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which doctor should I consult if my unborn child is diagnosed of having a birth defect?

You can consult a genetic counselor.

2. How can environmental birth defects be prevented?

For the prevention of environmental birth defects a pregnant woman must take care of the following things -

Avoid alcohol intake during pregnancy
Avoid active and passive smoking during pregnancy
Avoid intake of any illicit drugs during pregnancy
Avoid unnecessary medications during pregnancy
Ensure that all the vaccinations are up to date
Ensure that she does not have any sexually transmitted disease (STD)
Take prenatal vitamins before conception (folic acid)
Eat healthy, exercise and rest

3. What are my chances of having a baby with a birth defect?

In the US one out of every 33 babies is born with a birth defect.

Published on Sep 26, 2014
Last Updated on Sep 26, 2014

Comments

guest Monday, March 26, 2007

I am very interested in research into the FAS and FASD developing in babies from the paternal side. I have read in literature from USA that binge drinking young males could damage the sperm count enough to father children with FAS or FASD even if the mother does not drink whilst pregnant. Is there any UK research on this subject?

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