| What Prospective Mothers Should Do | What Prospective Mothers Really Do (U.S. Data) |
|---|
| 1. Plan the pregnancy. | 1. At least a third of all pregnancies are not intended. |
| 2. Take a daily multivitamin with folic acid. | 2. About 60 percent of women aged 18 to 45 do not take multivitamins. |
| 3. Avoid binge-drinking (defined as four or more drinks in a row). | 3. One in seven women in their childbearing years binge-drink. |
| 4. Update immunizations against all teratogenic viruses, especially rubella. | 4. Unlike in many developing nations, relatively few pregnant women in the United States lack basic immunizations. |
| 5. Gain or lose weight, as appropriate. | 5. About one-third of all U.S. women of childbearing age are obese, and about 5 percent are underweight. Both extremes increase complications. |
| 6. Reassess use of prescription drugs. | 6. Ninety percent of pregnant women take prescription drugs (not counting vitamins). |
| 7. Develop daily exercise habits. | 7. More than half of women of childbearing age do not exercise. |
| Sources: Bombard et al., 2013; MMWR, (July 20, 2012); Mitchell et al., 2012; Mosher et al, 2012; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012. |