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Abby's Magazine - Volume 5 Issue 4 | Page 27 There is solid evidence that not only does cancer poten ally start in the womb, but so can asthma, birth defects, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and a host of other lifelong chronic medical problems. The good news is that there are simple and reliable steps you can take to maximize your baby's health even before birth and avoid as many of these exposures as possible. Top 5 Midwife-MD recommendations for your baby's optimal health – starting prenatally: TAKE FOLATE OR FOLIC ACID DAILY Folate, the natural form of the water-soluble B-vitamin, and folic acid, the synthe c form, are both effec ve in preven ng what are called neural tube defects (NTD) in babies when taken from the month prior to concep on through the first couple of months of pregnancy. This nutrient, in either form, taken throughout pregnancy can also prevent against miscarriage and preeclampsia. Recent data suggests a strong correla on between low maternal folate/folic acid consump on and increased risk of au sm. While it is ideal to get our nutri on from natural sources such as green leafy vegetables rich in folate, unfortunately diet is o en not enough to get the amount needed for an op mally healthy baby. Therefore, supplementa on is recommended. Though many foods are now for fied with folic acid, which has resulted in a drama c reduc on in NTDs in the general popula on, many of us ea ng natural foods diets do not eat those for fied foods and simply do not get an adequate amount. The standard recommended daily dose for folic acid is 400 mcg, which may be more effec ve in preven ng prenatal problems than folate. However, many women lack an enzyme that allows them to metabolize folic acid and may need to take an ac vated form. Unless you've had tes ng for this gene c varia on in folate metabolism (MTHFR tes ng) you won't know if this applies to you, so I recommend taking 1 mg (1000 mcg) of ac ve folate daily as this is safe for all pregnant women, and bypasses this enzyme problem. TAKE A PRENATAL MULTI DAILY Taking a prenatal vitamin prior to concep on and throughout pregnancy improves baby's health. Because so many of our diets are deficient in one nutri onal element or another, taking a prenatal vitamin is like a nutri onal "insurance policy." Many pregnant women find prenatal vitamins very nausea ng – I sure did! I recommend trying different brands un l you find one that you can tolerate. Take it with food and take it later in the day (but not close to bed me) to reduce nausea. Some mes a liquid prenatal vitamin is be er tolerated. I prefer natural brands made from whole food sources whenever possible. EAT ORGANIC AND AVOID HIGH MERCURY FISH While the nutri onal value of organic foods over conven onal has recently been debated, there is no ques on that organic is be er for your body and the environment from chemical exposures percep ve, and exposure to agricultural chemicals in utero can cause long-term health consequences. The great news is that studies have clearly demonstrated that even just a few days of ea ng organic foods significantly reduces the blood levels of harmful chemicals – and staying on organics is likely to keep them lower than ea ng a conven onal foods diet. Whether to eat organic only is a cost issue for many of us. To learn which foods are organic "musts" visit the Environmental Working Group website and focus on avoiding what are called the "dirty dozen" foods and emphasize ea ng the "clean 15," which are products that do not have significant amounts of pes cide residues. Because the fats in dairy and meat are repositories for environmental chemicals, buying these organically (or from an bio c- and hormone-free sources) is important for protec ng baby. In addi on to ea ng organic, pregnant women will want to avoid fish that are high in mercury, which can cause neurologic problems in the developing fetus. These include tuna, shark, swordfish, King mackerel, lefish, sea bass, Gulf Coast Oysters, marlin, halibut, pike, walleye, and largemouth bass. I recommend no more than 2 servings of fish per week and no high mercury fish at all during pregnancy (or preferably ever, for that ma er!). AVOID ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS AND COMMON ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS Excellent data shows that a pregnant woman's exposure to a variety of environmental toxins – ranging from bisphenol A (BPA), found in many food packages and plas cs, to heavy metals – can have deleterious effects on the baby. We know that environmental chemicals called endocrine disruptors mimic hormones and are associated with problems such as genital birth defects in baby boys, for example, hypospadias, as well as later development of diabetes in children and adults.