National Birth Defects Month
January is National Birth Defects Awareness Month. A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is a condition present at birth regardless of its cause. Congenital disorders can happen for many reasons.
What Are Birth Defects?
- Birth defects are health conditions present when a baby is born.
- They can cause problems with baby’s health, how their body develops or how their body works.
- They can impact every part of baby, including their brain, heart, head, spine, limbs, organs, bones and cognitive development.
- Certain actions taken before and during pregnancy can reduce the risk of birth defects!
Although not all can be prevented, people can increase their chances of having a healthy baby by managing health conditions and adopting healthy behaviors before becoming pregnant.
Six Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Birth Defects
Watch and share! For resources and support, visit Well Badger’s Reduce Your Risk. Discover actionable steps you can take to access the services you need and deserve.
Next Steps if You Need Support
As always, Well Badger Resource Center is here to help! Well Badger is a one-stop connection to community, social, health, and government programs —a place to find what you need, when you need it.
For an indepth
The Well Badger Resource Center is a health information and referral program operated by the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.