New Mexico Department of Health encourages women to consider the health of their babies - before they are born.

New Mexico has a higher rate of certain birth defects than the national average, the kind of birth defects that can be prevented by taking multivitamins that contain folic acid, not smoking or drinking and maintaining a healthy weight. For help planning a pregnancy, contact your health care provider, your nearest public health office or your local Indian Health Service office. If you are planning a pregnancy soon or if you could become pregnant, here is what you can do to help you
have a healthy baby:

• Tell your health care provider you are planning a pregnancy and check with your provider before taking any prescription
drugs.

• Avoid illegal drugs.

• If you think you might be pregnant, get a pregnancy test as soon as possible.

• Start prenatal care as soon as you know you're pregnant.

• Take a multivitamin with folic acid every day.

• If you smoke, try to stop or at least cut down. Help is available through the Department of Health's free smoking cessation
line (1-800-QUIT-NOW).

• Exercise can help decrease weight and improves heart health.

"All women, whether they are planning a pregnancy or not, should take care of their health," said Dr. Maggi Gallaher, medical
director of the Department's Public Health Division. "By taking some simple steps, women can have a longer, happier, healthier life and help to improve the health of the next The Department of Health tracks preconception and prenatal health through its New Mexico Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) program to develop programs that will help women achieve optimal health before they become pregnant.

According to the latest PRAMS data, nearly 40% of women didn't have health insurance or Medicaid coverage before their pregnancy. More than 75% of New Mexico's mothers didn't use a multivitamin with folic acid in the month before pregnancy began, a simple move that can reduce the risk of having an infant with cleft lip/palate, a neural-tube defect and even some heart defects.

Unless a woman is trying to get pregnant, she may not be aware she has gotten pregnant. This can be a serious problem for the 18% of women who reported that they drank frequently or binge drank in the three months just before pregnancy, the 21% who smoked cigarettes, the 7.5% who were physically abused by a husband or partner and the 39% who were overweight.

Every year there are about 28,000 live births, and 93 percent of all New Mexico mothers had at least one of these health issues. The Department of Health works to improve these indicators through statewide family planning services, smoking cessation, healthy weight and educational initiatives.