A new pregnancy often brings joy, but worry arrives with it.

Worries surface about the blessed event’s effects on work, finances and even housekeeping. But the most daunting concerns are about health.

Birth defects affect 3 percent of all babies born in the United States, accounting for 20 percent of all infant deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The good news is that doctors are trained in prevention methods and offer a variety of screenings and tests to uncover potential defects during pregnancy.

January is National Birth Defect Prevention Month, championed by the National Birth Defect Prevention Network. It coordinates the work of birth defect surveillance networks across the country, including in Arkansas, collecting data about the frequency and specifics of birth defects for use in research. Its work makes up for the lack of nationwide birth defects database.

Dr. Wendy Nembhard, chief of the birth defects research section of the Department of Pediatrics at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, works with the network in Arkansas. She is an accomplished researcher who took time to share some suggestions for promoting healthy pregnancies.'

“The first thing that cuts across both groups is that planning for a healthy pregnancy doesn’t just start a few months before the pregnancy occurs,” Nembhard says. “It really is a lifetime commitment to good health. A healthy body is important because now you’re going to be supporting somebody else, too. Having healthy body weight is important because we know that being too thin or too heavy has consequences for the baby.”

Healthy lifestyles of both men and women have been shown to decrease the risk of birth defects, as well. So dads aren’t off the hook. Men should avoid drugs, alcohol and cigarettes to contribute healthy sperm. Some occupational hazards have been linked to birth defects, but more research is needed to confirm these links.

Nembhard says that seeing your doctor for guidance and beginning a regimen of prenatal vitamins, preferably before pregnancy, are also crucial steps. Staying up to date on vaccines before becoming pregnant is also important, and women with health conditions such as Type 1 diabetes should consult a doctor on how to manage their health during pregnancy.

“You can’t guarantee that you’re going to have a baby that’s healthy, because a lot of babies are born with birth defects and we have no idea why that’s happened,” Nembhard said.

“But you can do things that will improve your chances. It’s sort of like wearing a seatbelt. You can wear a seatbelt and get in a car accident and still get injured, but you significantly reduce the chances that it’s going to be a fatality. Same thing; if you do these healthy things, you’ve done everything that you can do to reduce your risk of having a child with a birth defect.”