6 Ways Latina Moms-to-Be Can Have Healthier Babies

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Did you know Latina moms are twice as likely as white moms to start prenatal care late or not all all?

This increases the risk of having a baby with serious health problems.

The good news is that using life planning tools, managing health conditions and avoiding certain exposures can improve differences in Latinas’ prenatal and child health, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Someday Starts Now campaign in English and Spanish.

Here are six tips:

1. Health Before Pregnancy. A healthy life depends on a combination of eating right and exercising—in addition to managing chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes and stress, as well as quitting unhealthy behaviors like smoking.

2. Get Tested for STIs. Get checked regularly for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), as STIs may pass from mother to baby during pregnancy or at birth. Left untreated or undiagnosed, they can affect a woman’s ability to have babies in the future, and can harm the baby’s development.

3. Prenatal Care in First Trimester. Enrolling in prenatal care early in the pregnancy is an important step during the first trimester (before the end of week 13 of pregnancy). A baby grows a lot during those early weeks, and getting prenatal care early helps her stay healthy along the way. When you find out that you’re pregnant, call your health care provider right away to make an appointment.

4. High-Risk and Preterm Births. Previous high-risk pregnancies can indicate possible complications for the future. If you are thinking about having another child and had complications with a past pregnancy, it’s important to tell your health care provider.

5. Space Out Pregnancies. Spacing your pregnancies can help reduce the risk of another high-risk pregnancy. Experts advise waiting until your child is at least age 2 before getting pregnant again.

6. Folic Acid Every Day. Before they get pregnant, women of childbearing age should take a daily multivitamin with at least 400 mcg of folic acid. Folic acid helps with energy levels, and if a woman decides to become pregnant, having taken folic acid before pregnancy will help the baby’s nervous system and brain grow properly and develop normally, which can prevent birth defects.

Learn more here.