January is Birth Defects Prevention Month

Michigan Department of Community Health Director, James K. Haveman, Jr., today announced that January is Birth Defects Prevention Month and released a new brochure with important information on how to prevent birth defects.

"Birth defects are a serious problem that impact the physical and emotional health of many children and their families and are the single leading cause of infant mortality," said Haveman. "In Michigan, approximately 8,000 babies are born with birth defects every year."

Recent scientific findings have spurred important national initiatives to establish prevention programs to reduce the occurrence of birth defects. The Michigan Birth Defects Registry (MBDR), in collaboration with the Hereditary Disorders Program currently has a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve birth defects surveillance in the state, and use birth defects data for prevention efforts and assure that children with birth defects receive appropriate intervention services.

Some birth defects are preventable and the U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age (between 15 and 44 years) consume 400 micrograms (400 mcg or 0.4 mg) of folic acid every day. Folic acid, a B-vitamin, taken before pregnancy and in the early weeks after conception, can reduce a woman's risk of having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect of the brain or spine. Neural tube defects affect an estimated 4,000 pregnancies each year in the U.S., the most common being spina bifida, the leading cause of childhood paralysis.

Mary Brodrick, a registered nurse and the mother of a son with spina bifida is a parent consultant at the Department of Community Health. Brodrick offers important advice to women of child-bearing age about consuming 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before conception and throughout the first trimester of pregnancy. "Because over fifty percent of pregnancies are unplanned, all women need to know about folic acid. All women need to consume adequate amounts through a daily multivitamin in combination with a healthy diet," said Brodrick.

To consume the recommended amount of folic acid, experts advise women to eat foods rich in folate and to take a multivitamin or folic acid pill every day. Foods rich in folate include leafy green vegetables, orange juice, and beans. Certain breakfast cereals are now fortified with folic acid, as are enriched grains and pastas. Recent studies suggest that taking folic acid is also associated with other health benefits such as a reduction in cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. Most experts caution that it is difficult for women to maintain the daily requirement without supplementing their diet with multivitamins or folic acid pills.

Other birth defects and infant health problems are preventable because they are associated with behaviors such as smoking, substance abuse, and poor nutrition. Fetal alcohol syndrome, one of the leading causes of mental retardation, is 100% preventable. "A woman must understand that when she uses alcohol, illicit drugs, or tobacco her baby takes in those same substances," says Jane Simmermon, Follow-up Coordinator for the Birth Defects Registry. Smoking is linked to low birth weight, childhood respiratory diseases such as asthma and pneumonia and has even been associated with increased risk of cleft lip/palate.

Public health efforts to provide birth defects prevention information and education include a folic acid campaign conducted by the Southeast Michigan and Greater Michigan Chapters of the March of Dimes and a fetal alcohol syndrome awareness project coordinated by the Department of Community Health. Programs such as the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program (WIC) and Maternal Support Services play an important role in educating women on the value of proper nutrition before and during pregnancy.

Birth Defects Prevention Month activities include radio public service announcements by Haveman, a folic acid message with state employee paychecks, a governor's proclamation, and distribution of educational materials featuring the new brochure entitled "Preventing Birth Defects--Important Information for Michigan Families." Packets of information have also been distributed to every county, district and city health department in the state.

Additional information about birth defects prevention or resources and services for young children with birth defects can be found on the Department of Community Health website at www.mdch.state.mi.us/dch/clcf/hdp/birthdefects.htm