Prevention of Disabilities Present at Birth

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HealthWiki > Disabled Village Children > Chapter 12: Common Disabilities Present at Birth > Prevention of Disabilities Present at Birth

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

It is not possible to prevent all disabilities present at birth. Some babies form differently inside the womb and no one knows why. But many of these disabilities can be prevented. For ways to make it less likely that children will be born with disabilities, see Chapter 3. To reduce the chances of these disabilities, pregnant women must stay in good health and avoid certain dangers:

• Eat well during pregnancy. Eating enough good food gives strength, prevents infection, builds a healthy baby and helps prevent too much bleeding during birth. Be sure to eat food that has enough folic acid (see Where There Is No Doctor, Chapter 11 and Where Women Have No Doctor, Chapter 11.)
• Avoid medicines and drugs during pregnancy unless you are sure they will not injure the baby. (Vitamins, some vaccinations, some antacids, and iron in the correct dose are alright.) Alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy can also injure the developing child.
• Avoid contact with chemicals, pesticides and other poisons. If a pregnant woman’s partner or family members must use pesticides or poisons, they should wash their own clothes, and protect the pregnant woman from the chemicals.
• Avoid having children with close relatives. When close family members have children together, the children are much more likely to have disabilities present at birth.
• While pregnant, stay far away from anyone with German measles (rubella) if you have never had it. If you are not pregnant, try to catch it before you get pregnant. Vaccines give protection against German measles but you should not become pregnant for 1 month after rubella immunization.
• Getting syphilis or herpes when you are pregnant can cause the baby to be born with disabilities. Make sure you and your partner are tested and treated early for sexually transmitted infections.
• Be aware of your risk of having children born with certain disabilities, so that you can take this into account when building a family. Risk increases as parents get older, and if family members have certain conditions.

Most disabilities present at birth can be prevented when women can afford good food to eat, when they do not have to work with toxic chemicals, and when they have good health care.

These disabilities should not be treated as a challenge for families to deal with on their own. Their causes affect the whole community, and to prevent disabilities, we must change the world we live in so that it is safer for all people.

This page was updated:25 Nov 2024