January is Birth Defects Prevention Month!

Birth Defects Affect Us All. What effect will YOU have on birth defects? Learn more about birth defects. Visit www.cdc.gov/birthdefects.

Birth Defects are common, costly, and critical-- January is Birth Defects Prevention Month. This year the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is focusing on raising awareness of the prevalence of birth defects and strategies that reduce the risk of birth defects and their compilations.

Birth defects affect 1 in ever 33 babies born in the United States, are a leading cause of infant mortality, and create $2.6 billion per year in hospital costs. Babies who survive and live with birth defects are at increased risk for developing many lifelong physical, cognitive, and social challenges. Medical care and support services only scrape the surface of the financial and emotional impact of living with birth defects.

The risk for many birth defects can be reduced through healthy lifestyle choices and medical interventions before and during pregnancy. Please encourage all women who can become pregnant or are pregnant to lower their risk of having a baby with a birth defect by following some basic health guidelines throughout their reproductive years, including:

  • Consume 400mcg of folic acid daily from the beginning of menstruation through menopause.
  • Eat a healthy diet and aim for a healthy weight.
  • Keep diabetes under control.
  • Get a medical checkup before pregnancy and address specific health issues including weight control, control of diabetes, and any medications taken.
  • Stop smoking and avoid second hand smoke.
  • Stop drinking alcohol prior to pregnancy or as soon as a pregnancy is known.
  • Do not take illegal drugs.
  • Plan carefully. Use contraception if taking medications that increase the risk for birth defects.
  • Know your family medical history, potential genetic risks and seek reproductive genetic counseling, if appropriate.

Activities and Resources:

  • National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) Prevention Resource Packet  and other materials: contains educational and promotional materials including ideas for sharing the packet.

  • Minnesota Tailored Resource Packet- 2013 Birth Defects Prevention Month (DOC: 10 pages 2.2MB) or (DOCX: 10 pages 2.2MB): contains materials that can be tailored to meet agency/community specific needs

  • Minnesota Proclamation for Birth Defects Prevention Month by Governor Dayton (PDF)

  • Family Stories & Photos (Flickr): Birth defects don't just impact the lives of the children who are affected. They are conditions which impact the entire family. Throughout January, CDC will be featuring the photos and stories of several families and individuals whose lives have been changed by birth defects.

  • Public Service Announcements: The National Birth Defect Prevention Network’s (NBDPN) Parent Advisory Group has developed public service announcements (PSAs) videos that are available, free of charge, in both English and Spanish. To view and download the PSA, go to http://www.nbdpn.org/pwg/psa_downloads.php

  • Twitter Chats:

    • March of Dimes Chat: What have we learned about preventing birth defects? March of Dimes is hosting a Twitter chat on Thursday January 10th at 1PM. NCBDDD has been invited to talk about what we've learned about preventing birth defects. We'll highlight birth defects research over the years and provide tips for a healthy pregnancy. We hope you can join us.

      Date: Thursday, January 10, 2013
      Time: 1:00-2:00 PM EST
      Hashtag: #1in33chat
      Follow updates from NCBDDD Director Dr. Coleen Boyle at:
      http://twitter.com/DrBoyleCDC

      What you can do:

      • Forward this email to your colleagues and networks and ask them to participate!
      • Promote the chat with your own tweets or by retweeting @DrBoyleCDC.
      • Be part of the chat on Thursday, January 10 and talk about what you and your organization are doing to prevent birth defects.
    • American Academy of Pediatrics Chat:
      The American Academy of Pediatrics will be hosting a Twitter chat the week of January 21, 2013. More details to follow.
  • Social Media Buttons: CDC has created buttons to increase awareness of birth defects. You can help by posting a button to your website, blog, or social networking site (e.g., Facebook page). These buttons are available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/multimedia.html.

Additional Resources:

An effort of the Birth Defects Monitoring and Analysis Program at MDH, www.health.state.mn.us/birthdefects,
with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).