Friday, February 1, 2013 —
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about three percent of babies are born with a birth defect.
January has been recognized by the National Birth Defects Prevention Network as the month for targeting birth defects and the prevention of those defects.
While preventing all birth defects may never be attainable, one doctor at Stanly Regional Medical Center talked about the ways they can lower that percentage.
“I think the most important thing that we try to do is identify those as early as possible. The first (goal) is preventing if you can. The sooner you can screen, the better off they are,” said Edward Williams, a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist.
Williams said for doctors within Stanly Medical Services, the first step they try to take with families that are trying to become pregnant is to look at their genetics, environmental and health factors and statistics.
For that reason, they encourage preconceptual counseling, so the family can discuss their health and family history with a doctor before becoming pregnant. Those meetings can be helpful to target the issues that may pose a risk to a newborn.
“That allows us to do that initial risk assessment and get the patient to stop smoking or get their diabetes under control or have them lose weight,” he said.
Even examining those determining factors and finding a lack of threats can not guarantee a healthy baby.
“More than 60 percent of the causes are really unknown,” Williams said.
Within Stanly County, he said that they specifically target certain issues that are prevalent in the county.
“One of the most significant and most problematic areas that is especially countywide is a significant number of parents with obesity and diabetes,” he said.
“Those may all be interlinked, so we try to focus on those issues that are population specific and look at those like obesity and address that.”
In some cases, age can also be a factor, as it has been specifically linked to cases of Down’s syndrome.
“Age is significantly linked to have more genetic issues such as Down’s,” Williams said.
The actual age is not necessarily the issue, Williams said, but a common factor because older parents trying to have a child are typically more susceptible to issues such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure because they are older.
For any age group, he recommends the preconceptual counseling to discuss any health issues that can be treated or minimized for the health of a baby. Another aid is exploring nutritional help.
“A nutritional consult can focus their diet on where they may be deficient on those supplements or food groups that can help them. Food such as green vegetables and fruits have natural folate in them,” he said.
“We try to do some nutritional counseling to target those food groups that will help them.”
Those steps and a visit to a certified OB/GYN may not be able to eliminate all risks, but may help to reduce them.
“We’ve come a long way in detecting and having pretty sensitive testing. The triple screening we use in the first trimester is a very sensitive ultrasound that we can do to target some of those defects,” he said.
“Our focus is on controlling issues before we get to that stage.”
Visit www.nbdpn.org for more information on the National Birth Defects Prevention Network.
Local News
Doctor examines ways to lessen chance of birth defects
- Local News
-
-
Red Cross announces spring promotion
About 38 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood; however, only three percent actually do.
-
Matthew’s Place offers Alzheimer’s awareness workshop
Matthew’s Place, a supportive housing community in Albemarle, will host a special event at 11 a.m. June 21 to educate and promote awareness for Alzheimer’s disease.
-
Patriotic concert
The Singing Americans of Stanly County, a non-profit organization, will present its patriotic cantata, “Sweet Land of Liberty.”
-
Albemarle Academy of Dance to present dance concerts
Students from Albemarle Academy of Dance (AAD) will present its 24th annual Spring Dance Concerts June 15 at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center.
-
Tips for staying fire ant-free this summer
Nearly everyone has a terrible childhood story about being attacked by fire ants. A local exterminator shared his tips on staying fire ant-free this summer.
-
Oakboro man, son soon off for Honduras
When an Oakboro man and his son decided to go on a missions trip to Honduras, their community embraced the idea with open arms and helped them raise even more money than they needed.
-
20 years later: Selimbegovic reflects on experience during ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Croatia
Mirsad Selimbegovic gets emotional thinking about America.
-
Pleasant Grove prepares for trip to Ecuador
Individuals of all ages from all over the world will be traveling on a mission trip to Quito, Ecuador in June.
-
North Carolina state parks gear up for National Get Outdoors Day June 8
RALEIGH – State parks in North Carolina are gearing up for National Trails Day June 1 and National Get Outdoors Day June 8 with a number of special programs designed to enrich the experience of recreation and education in the outdoors, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
-
This Weekend in Stanly County
Weekends are for fun and relaxation and the visitor can find both here in Stanly County. Enjoy music, a variety of running races to watch or participate in, a little history, fresh produce, and a dance recital.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Red Cross announces spring promotion
