Saw something about this online and now its stuck in my head and making me anxious. Im only 9 weeks. Is there anything a mother can do to lower the chances of this? Just want to do everything right.
Honestly a lot of this is not fully in our control, so please dont blame yourself thinking about it. Just take your folic acid, avoid any medicine without doctor's nod and go for your scans which can detect it. Your gynac is the right person to guide on this.
I understand the worry, I went through so much overthinking during my pregnancy too. The doctors focus on folic acid, avoiding harmful stuff and proper prenatal care. Try not to carry too much fear, just do your part and trust your gynac.
My doctor said the best known step is taking folic acid before and in early pregnancy, it helps reduce such defects. Avoiding smoking and alcohol and not taking random medicines without asking also matters. She said you cant guarantee prevention but these reduce the risk.
Start folic acid early, that's the main thing doctors stress. Skip smoking, alcohol and self medication completely. Beyond that, regular checkups so anything is caught in time.
