During the three trimesters of prenatal development, critical changes occur during the germinal, embryonic and fetal periods. To promote optimal development, certain steps should be taken to ensure the beginning stages of life are not hazardous to development. This includes taking action before pregnancy.
If you are planning a pregnancy, you should begin taking 400-800 mcg of folic acid every day for at least three months prior to getting pregnant. This will lower the chance of birth defects within the spine and brain. You should stop drinking and smoking. Make an appointment with you doctor to go over any medications you are currently taking as some medications are not healthy to be taking while pregnant. While there, make sure any medical conditions you have are under control. Also, make sure your environment is healthy at home and at work avoiding any chemicals or other toxic substances that could be harmful.
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Continue taking vitamins with folic acid and eat a well-balanced diet. Do not smoke, drink or do drugs (Prenatal Care Fact Sheet, 2012). This can cause serious, sometimes fatal, occurrences for you and your baby. Aside from ensuring you are in good health, there are things to avoid within your environment that can cause harm to your baby. A teratogen is any agent that can potentially cause birth defects and negatively alter an embryo. Some examples include infectious diseases, nutritional deficiencies, drugs, and environmental pollutants. The dose, genetic susceptibility, and time of exposure determine the type of effect and the severity of the damage. It is important to avoid teratogens during the prenatal period, as well as postpartum (Santrock, 2013). After an infant is born, regular doctor visits should continue to ensure you and your child are in good