Show Hints For Mothers To Be By VIRGINIA APGAR MD 1 Director Division of ital Malformations The Na Na- Foundation March ot of Dimes For me some ot of the most interesting findings during the past year revolved around these questions WHAT DO we know about preventing birth defects a problem as old as time Are there any specific rules we can give a woman who is pregnant WHAT T ie o we now know that we didn't know before Fortunately the past year has been productive We do know mow more than we before about preventing birth defects And while there still is much we dont don't know we can give a pregnant woman some rules to tullow SINCE 1958 The r- r rational March Foundation ot of Dimes which was responsibile for tor the development of the Salk and Sabin polio ines has been searching for the causes and preventives ot of birth defects One ot of the highlights in this research area was the Second International Conference on Congenital 1 o 0 I a s sponsored by The National Foundation held in iii New York City during the past year rear 1400 medical people from 22 countries met to report reo re- port their latest findings in inthe the field of birth defects and to talk with their colI a ain in allied fields about causes and possible preventives Also discussed were projects involving in in- basic research which we need for tor a foundation upon pon which to build theories about causes and preventiveS I One of the most interesting speakers was Dr Lenz a West German geneticist genetic genetic- on the staff of Hamburg University It It was Dr renz Lenz who first connected the nt serious outbreak ot of birth defects de- de feels in his country to the sedative sed sed- alive thalidomide ACCORDING to pr Dr Lenz z I I Formerly many human biologists I taking a a environment for granted used to attribute almost every malformation mal mal- formation to heredity However he says there Isa is a need for for a change in this type of thinking because the chemical environment ot of man has greatly changed in recent decades due to the lion tion of many chemi chemicals ls Some of these have been devised with the special purpose to block chemical reactions in inman Inman man animals plants or unicellular uni cellular organisms THEREFORE this ne w medical trend produces this advice to a pregnant woman At present any woman who is in the first few months ot of pregnancy or is uncertain as asto asto to whether or not she is pregnant preg nant should not use a drug unless it is necessary to save savea a life Take a drug against a headache Better not WilY WHY Because according to Dr Lenz almost Both i 1 n g is known of the role of chemi cats cals in the production ot of hum an malformations This then would be t the h e first rule for a pregnant worn wom an DO NOT take any medica medica- lion at no all matter whether you got it with a prescription or without a prescription un less it is specifically prescribed prescribed pre pre- scribed to you by your doctor FOR USE AT TIllS TilIS TIME Never during a pregnancy take pills which your doctor gave you before 30 you became pregnant Never take pills pUIs prescribed pre pre- scribed for anyone cle In our country at least one thalidomide mide tragedy occurred when the woman took pills pre scribed d for her husband not for her I IERE ARE other rules for fora a woman about to become a mother See your doctor or lr a pre natal clinic clinic-as soon as you you think you are pregnant Only recently weve we've found that the first few months ot of pregnancy are m most st important and that good care at this time is vital for tor the baby I I FOLLOW the diet your doctor doe doc tor prescribes Dont Don't take extra extra ex tra vitamin pills or any other oth oth- er fancy vitamin supplements without checking with your doctor Know your Rh factor blood type and your husbands Tell your doctor Cany any other doctor whom you you have reason to see that yo you are arc pregnant or that you think you are pregnant This information is vital in inthe inthe the case ot of X X rays or fluoroscopy fluoroscopy which during the early months of pregnancy might ii harm n the unborn child If these proc procedures can be PO P.O. frost po ported d until later your doctor will do so so I Never knowingly expo s e yourself to 10 German measles or to any other infectious disease dis dis- ease when pregnant II |