1. Take Prenatal Vitamins to Prevent Birth Defects
Why some babies develop an omphalocele is not entirely understood. Consequently, there is no definite way to prevent one from occurring in your baby. That said, some research suggests that taking prenatal vitamins can significantly reduce your baby's risk of birth defects, including an omphalocele. Folate, a B vitamin found in prenatal vitamins and other multivitamins, has been shown to have a notable effect on a child's development, particularly during early pregnancy. It's best to start taking these vitamins several months before attempting conception and to continue vitamins throughout your pregnancy. In fact, organizations like the March of Dimes advocate that all women for whom pregnancy is possible take vitamins containing folate in case of unexpected pregnancy.
2. Get Proper Prenatal Care
While there is nothing you or your doctor can do to eliminate the possibility of your child developing an omphalocele, getting proper prenatal care can help you identify the condition early and make the necessary preparations. Most omphaloceles are discovered through routine fetal sonograms or MSAFP tests (maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein tests for birth defects). If your baby is diagnosed early in your pregnancy, you will have time to get educated about the condition, consult with specialists and make arrangements for the birth. Your obstetrician may prefer to deliver your baby via C-section to minimize any trauma to the omphalocele sac.
3. Prevent Complications of an Omphalocele
In order to get your child the best possible care immediately following delivery, choose a hospital where there is a skilled neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). You may want to consider having your child transferred to a children's hospital after birth. Depending on the severity of your child's omphalocele, immediate surgery may be needed. Otherwise, preventing complications will become your doctor's top priority. Prophylactic antibiotics may be given to prevent infection, and the omphalocele sac will likely be covered with some type of non-adherent material, such as plastic wrap. If your baby's omphalocele is leaning to one side, it will probably be supported, so that it doesn't pull on the internal organs. Surgery to return the organs to the abdominal cavity will be done when deemed appropriate.
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