Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey is joining over 350 members of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network to share the message that women of childbearing age should talk with a health care provider about which medications are safe to take while pregnant.
January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, and this year’s campaign focuses on medication use before, during, and after pregnancy.
Medication use during pregnancy is common – two out of every three women take prescription medications during pregnancy.
“Women of childbearing age are urged to discuss any medications they are using, whether prescription or over-the-counter, with a doctor,” says Christy McGill, director of Healthy Communities Coalition. Though many women know that certain prescription medications can cause birth defects, they may not be aware that some dietary supplements and herbal remedies may also harm a developing baby.
Not all medications should be discontinued during pregnancy; some may need to be changed or adjusted. Medical conditions such as diabetes, influenza, and asthma need to be managed during pregnancy and may harm both mother and baby if left untreated.
A baby’s organs, such as the heart, brain, and spine, begin developing in the first few weeks, before a woman may realize she is pregnant. For that reason, it is important for women to have conversations with their health care providers about medications before pregnancy.
Every woman should take a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid daily, starting before pregnancy, to improve the likelihood of delivering a healthy baby. Pregnant women should also eat a healthy diet, avoid alcohol and tobacco, and wash their hands often, especially after gardening, touching pets, raw meat, uncooked eggs, unwashed vegetables, or caring for young children.
Where Can I Find Health Care Providers in Lyon County? In Lyon County, there are community health nursing clinics in Dayton, Yerington, Fernley and Silver Springs that can offer some relevant health services related to preventing disease, and the nurses can also make references to other nearby health care providers who offer complete care for pregnant women as well. ( Dayton, Call 246-6211; Fernley 575-3363 or 351-1301; Silver Springs - 577-5016; Yerington 463-6539 or 577-5039.)
The National Birth Defects Prevention Network collects and distributes information about birth defects and their prevention, encourages research, and provides technical support to state and local birth defects monitoring programs. To learn more about the Network and Birth Defects Prevention Month, please visit www.nbdpn.org.
Where Can I Go for Local Information? Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey is a member of the Network and is proud to have many members and partners whose work focuses on preventing birth defects, including Muriel Kronowitz, Nevada Statewide Coordinator for the Perinatal Substance Abuse Prevention Program at the Nevada State Health Division. For more information about the program, please contact Kronowitz at (775) 684-4263.
What Do Coalition Members Do For Prevention? Healthy Communities Coalition promotes awareness of birth defect prevention by funding and supporting community task forces and Stand Tall teams that promote good nutrition, host free annual health and wellness fairs, free immunization clinics with community health nurses, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder prevention campaigns, tobacco use prevention and cessation campaigns, and prescription drug and over-the-counter drug misuse prevention campaigns.
To learn more, please contact Healthy Communities Coalition staff at (775) 246-7550 or visit our web site at www.healthycomm.org or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/healthycommunitiescoalition.