Neural Tube Defects

Neural tube defect is the term used to describe problems with the development of the neural tube in the first few weeks of fetal development. Conditions range from mild (spina bifida occulta) to severe (anencephaly) and may cause death in-utero or after birth. ... read more »

Folic Acid Before Conception Helps Prevent Birth Defects

Folic acid intake is essential during pregnancy. ... read more »

The Best Time to Take Folic Acid Is Before Pregnancy

Folic acid protects against neural tube defects. ... read more »

Diet Pills

Are diet pills ok to take when I try to conceive (TTC)? ... read more »

The B Vitamin No Woman Should Be Without

There are eight B vitamins, all of which are essential to human life, but one B vitamin has taken center stage during recent years due to new research revealing how strongly this super-vitamin can affect one's health- most importantly women's health. ... read more »

Beyond Preventing Birth Defects

It is recommended that all women of childbearing age take a folic acid supplement or multivitamin with at least 400 mcg of folic acid because this B vitamin is known to prevent neural tube defects such as spinal bifida and encephalopathy. ... read more »

Healthy Pregnancy Diet May Reduce Birth Defect Risk

Women who eat healthy during pregnancy are less apt to have children with birth defects, according to new research published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. ... read more »

Folic Acid is Important for TTC and Pregnant Women

Folic acid supplements are often taken after a mother conceives, at that time it's often too late to prevent certain complications. ... read more »

Fruits & Vegetables During Preganancy

Fruits and vegetable should be part of your regular daily diet, as well as during pregnancy. ... read more »

Waterbed

Is is safe to use a waterbed while we try to conceive (TTC) and during pregnancy? ... read more »

Carbamazepine Linked to Increased Risk for Spina Bifida

Women who suffer from epilepsy often take anti-epileptic medications throughout their pregnancy. ... read more »

Anencephaly

Anencephaly is a neural tube defect that present with a lack of forebrain. This condition is a cephalic disorder. ... read more »

When to Work Out While Pregnant

Most pregnant women are encouraged to exercise from pre-conception through labor, but there are some exceptions to the rule. ... read more »

Delay in Language Development Reduced With Folic Acid

A new study was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealing that folic acid intake during the first eight weeks of pregnancy has a significant impact on language development up to three years after birth. ... read more »

Folic Acid Reduces Risk of Autism Disorder

Observational research shows taking folic acid (folate) supplements for four weeks prior to pregnancy and continuing for eight weeks after pregnancy reduces the risk of a child developing an autism disorder. ... read more »

Alpha-Fetoprotein (Serum) During Pregnancy

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is thought to be the fetus's version of albumin. It is produced during the development of the fetus by the yolk sac. In the pregnant woman, AFP is produced by the liver during gestation. ... read more »

Spina Bifida

Spina bifida is a neural tube defect. The neural tube develops in the first weeks of pregnancy and closes by the end of the first month. Spina bifida develops when the neural tube does not close properly. ... read more »

Folic Acid Linked to Autism Prevention

If there is one thing that drives researchers it is a medical condition with no definitive cause. Autism is one of those conditions. Though there are some medical ideas about the possible roots of some forms of autism, there has yet to be one study producing a clear, concise and definitive cause of autism. ... read more »

Cell Signaling Pathways and Diabetic-Induced Birth Defects

Researchers from the University of Maryland may have found a new means of reducing diabetic-induced birth defects like none other. ... read more »

Fortifying Flour May Reduce Birth Defect Risk in Hispanic Population

Folic acid is an extremely important vitamin during early pregnancy. ... read more »

How a Folic Acid Deficiency Can Lead to Enduring Defects

Folic acid deficiencies can cause defects in offspring for several future generations. A new study, published in the journal Cell, sheds new light on the role folic acid plays on a molecular level during fetal development. ... read more »

PAX3 Gene May Be Linked to Birth Defects in Diabetic Mother

A team of researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center have identified an enzyme that may increase the likelihood of birth defects in children born to mothers with diabetes. The enzyme, known as AMPK, signals cells to stop producing a specific gene, PAX3. ... read more »

Vitamin B12 Preconception Decreases Malformations

Vitamin B12 preconception decreases malformations. ... read more »