The theme for the
2012 National Birth Defects Prevention Month is on congenital heart defects, the most common type of birth defect.
Congenital heart defects include abnormalities of the heart that are present at birth. Some have only a minor and brief effect on a baby’s health and some have very serious and lifelong effects. The
University of South Alabama Birth Defects Genetics Center is a partnering agency in the
National Birth Defects Prevention Network's (NBDPN) efforts at surveillance, prevention and early treatment of birth defects. With the 2012 theme of "And the beat goes on...Looking to the future for healthy hearts," the NBDPN reminds us that t
he heart forms in the early weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman realizes she is pregnant. Diet, life-style choices, factors in the environment, health conditions and medications all can play a role in preventing or causing congenital heart defects. For more information and tips on simple ways to prevent congenital heart defects, go to http://www.nbdpn.org/bdpm2012.php.