Exposure and Risk

There are other risk factors besides the environment that may affect the health of a baby before and after birth. Nutrition during pregnancy and the mother's health are important as well as early and high-quality prenatal care. The following behaviors and conditions can affect how a baby develops and can lead to health problems after birth:

• Vitamin deficiencies such as not enough folic acid intake,
• Uncontrolled chronic diseases such as high blood pressure or diabetes, and
• Untreated infections, such as bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis.

Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is associated with:

• Low birth weight,
• Spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), and
• Stillbirth (fetal death)

Some risk factors have been associated with low birth weights and preterm births that are not well understood despite research efforts. For example, the reason why there are obvious differences in the rate of birth problems among different racial and ethnicity groups is unknown. Adverse birth outcomes do not happen because of a single, easily changeable risk factor. They are most likely caused by several things from many areas of a mother's life.