Is there anything that can be done to prevent mental retardation in a child during pregnancy?

Stay healthy+ PNC: The baseline mental capacitity of a newborn starts with the genetic contribution of both parents.Maternal eggs are effected by her health & exposures from her birth until delivery.Dads contribution less so, (poor swimmers don't fertalize as often).Then it depends on factors you may not control.The best you can do is stay fit, avoid toxic exposures & follow a good prenatal monitoring program.

Yes: Preventative measures include being in good health at conception, preventing infecttious exposure, startting prenatal care early, avoiding any substance or exposure that can harm the fetus, preventing premature birth, controlling blood pressure, blood sugar, treating problems in mom, utilizing prenatal diagnostic studies, taking prenatal vitamins, eating healthy foods.

The most common: preventable cause of Intellectual Disability is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. 50% of pregnancies in the US are unplanned. 70% of women of child-bearing age drink alcohol. The fetal brain starts to develop 3 weeks after conception. If mom has 4 drinks at parties on weekends or 2 oz. of absolute alcohol/day from 3-8 weeks post-conception, fetal brain development can be altered. Other factors apply.