The life cycle of heart defects
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are heart conditions that are present when a baby is born. CHDs affect nearly 1 in 100 births every year in the United ...
Key messages from Birth Defects Prevention Month
We’ve had a busy month spreading the word about birth defects and what you can do to have a healthy pregnancy. If you’ve missed some posts, here's a o ...
Let someone else clean Mr. Whisker’s litter box when you’re pregnant
We often receive emails from pregnant women concerned about their cat and his litter box. Dirty cat litter might contain a harmful parasite called Tox ...
When in doubt, wash your hands
Now that winter has arrived, it seems like the temperatures are decreasing and the spread of germs is increasing. In an effort to stay healthy this se ...
“I just found out I’m pregnant and I haven’t been taking folic acid. What should I do?”
This is a question we often receive through [email protected] The good news is that no matter when you find out you are pregnant, you will still ...
Update! New guidelines on how to prevent peanut allergies in your baby
Peanut allergies have become a hot topic and for good reason. These allergies can be severe and lifelong.
I remember when I was in school, before my ...
Prevent to protect: talk to your health care provider
January is Birth Defects Prevention month. In the United States, a baby is born with a birth defect every 4 ½ minutes. Some infections before and duri ...
New year – healthy you
Today we welcome guest blogger Sarah Verbiest, DrPH, MSW, MPH, Executive Director, The National Preconception Health and Health Care Initiative.
Ja ...
Bodacious beverages
Since there is no known safe amount of alcohol a pregnant woman can consume, avoiding it when you’re trying to conceive is best. Does that make for a ...
Maternal PKU
PKU or phenylketonuria is a condition in which your body can’t break down an amino acid called phenylalanine.
In the US, about 3,000 women of child ...