Education Campaign Aims To Prevent Birth Defects
Kaiser Permanente Northern California is launching an education campaign for patients and medical staff on risk factors that can cause birth defects, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Kaiser said its goal is to provide screenings for women ages 18 to 44 on risk factors associated with miscarriages and birth defects. Kaiser also will involve its pharmacy in the campaign by alerting patients if they are taking medications that can contribute to poor pregnancy outcomes.
CDC on Thursday released national guidelines for doctors and women on 12 risk factors that could harm fetuses if a woman becomes pregnant.
Fetuses are most at risk of developing defects in the first six weeks of pregnancy, and women who are not trying to get pregnant might be taking medications or engaging in other behavior that could harm the fetus, Ruth Shaber, director of Kaiser Northern California's Women's Health programs, said (Vesely, Oakland Tribune, 4/22).