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Birth Defects Prevention
Month 2008
January is Birth Defects Prevention Month!
It is our pleasure to provide you with
materials for Birth Defects Prevention Month 2008, which were
developed by the Education and Outreach Committee of the National
Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN).
- Congratulations, Mom. You Have
a Beautiful Baby Postpartum Brochure (English, Spanish)
- Birth Defects Fact Sheets from the University
of South Florida Birth Defects Surveillance Program
- Anencephaly (English, Spanish)
- Congenital Heart Defects (English, Spanish)
- Cleft Lip (English, Spanish)
- Cleft Palate (English, Spanish)
- Down Syndrome (English, Spanish)
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (English, Spanish)
- Hydrocephaly (English, Spanish)
- Microtia (English, Spanish)
- Spina Bifida (English, Spanish)
- Pregnancy Loss (English, Spanish)
- Fact Sheet-Healthy Lifestyle Choices (English,
Spanish)
- Fact Sheet-Diabetes (English,
Spanish)
- Fact Sheet-Smoking (English,
Spanish)
- Fact Sheet-Domestic Violence(English,
Spanish)
- Fact Sheet-Folic Acid (English,
Spanish)
- Fact Sheet-Infections and Immunizations
(English,
Spanish)
- Fact Sheet-Medical Conditions and Genetic
Counseling (English,
Spanish)
- Free NTD/folic
acid materials from CDC
- Free FAS
materials from CDC
- NTD/folic
acid and FAS
materials from MOD
We have chosen "Preventing
Infections in Pregnancy" as our topic
of focus for this year's packet. Infections in pregnancy contribute
to the number of preventable birth defects that occur each year.
While some infections have been associated with birth defects,
others have been linked to additional serious outcomes for mothers
and infants including uterine infection, miscarriage, premature
labor, or stillbirth.
Although infections are common and familiar to
many, there is a lack of knowledge among the population about the
serious outcomes of infections during pregnancy and how they can
be avoided. Please take the time to become familiar with
the materials. We hope you find them useful to the educational
outreach and prevention activities that you conduct in your community.
Although the focus of this year's packet is
"Preventing Infections in Pregnancy" please continue
to encourage all pregnant women and those who could become pregnant
to: consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily; know their family
history; have a check-up from a health care provider prior to
conception; seek reproductive genetic counseling, if appropriate;
manage chronic maternal illnesses such as diabetes, seizure disorders,
lupus or phenylketonuria (PKU); avoid alcohol, nicotine, and
illicit drugs; ensure that prescription medication and herbal
supplements are safe at the time of conception and during early
pregnancy; avoid harmful occupational and environmental
exposures; and ensure protection
against domestic violence.
We would like to know if these materials are of value and how you
use them. Please complete the evaluation form. We are especially interested in any innovative activities
you undertake, that can be replicated by others, in working
for the primary prevention of birth defects. Materials developed
by the Education Committee are available electronically and
can be tailored to your specific agency's mission, needs and
capacity. Please contact us if we can be of assistance in this
regard. Materials from the other organizations can be obtained
directly from them.
If you should have questions about the materials,
please contact Mary
Knapp or Cara Mai.
We hope you find the information and materials useful in promoting
your own campaigns for Birth Defects Prevention Month, January
2008.
Sincerely,
Phil Cross , President, NBDPN
Mary Knapp, Education Committee Co-Chair, NBDPN
LaShunda Williams, Education Committee Co-Chair, NBDPN
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