How can birth defects be prevented for most women?

Sometimes: A healthy mother, eating a healthy diet, along with prenatal vitamins (especially folic acid) and prenatal care will decrease the likelihood of many birth defects. There is no guarantee-- prenatal care will help expectant moms do the best for their developing baby, and will catch birth defects earlier to therapies can be planned.

Some avoidable: Balanced nutrition, exercise and proper rest is the beginning effort.Preventable defects include those caused by alcohol and drug use,so these must be avoided from the point you start trying through the end of any pregnancy.Sometimes a consultation with a medical geneticist can reveal issues from either side of the family that you can at least be aware of.Some defects are random and not avoidable