Most birth defects are not preventable and mothers should not feel guilty about causing defects that they really didn't. The FDA plays a leading role in trying to create awareness of the factors that contribute to birth defects and of how they might be controlled. The leading cause of birth defects is fetal alcohol syndrome, which is completely preventable by not drinking alcohol. One of the FDA's main strategies in the prevention of birth defects is making sure that every pregnant woman sees a doctor in her first trimester. In short, mothers have the ultimate responsibility of knowing about what causes birth defects and trying to avoid these things.
Some birth defects are genetic while some are environmental.
Some are due to lifestyle practices and diet before conception, but most are due to a combination of factors. In fact, knowing about all of the ways a fetus can be harmed in the womb makes us appreciate the miracle of birth. A large number of industrial solvents are known via laboratory testing to be teratogenic to animals. A ten-year study recently reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that it attempted to evaluate pregnancy and fetal outcomes following maternal occupational exposure to organic solvents. Mineral lead is especially toxic to humans and animals.