One out of every eight babies is born prematurely in the United States, which translates to almost half a million "preemies" each year. While a full-term pregnancy is 40 weeks (delivery anywhere from 38 weeks to 42 weeks is considered safe), a premature birth occurs before 37 weeks of gestation

During a baby’s first month of life, prematurity is the leading cause of death and serious complications can occur later in life for the preemies who survive. The earlier a child is born, the higher the risk of complications. Such complications include:

• Respiratory distress syndrome
• Bleeding in the brain
• Less ability to fight off infection due to immature immune system
• Mental retardation
• Cerebral palsy
• Lung problems
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Vision and hearing loss

Although technological developments have made it possible for more premature babies to survive, directing more health care dollars to prenatal care and reproductive services has not been the answer for this problem. The real issue is how to avoid having a premature birth in the first place, and this is an area that deserves much attention as the rate of babies born prematurely has risen 27 percent since 1981.

There is one thing that every woman can do to greatly reduce her chance of having a premature birth, and that is to take fish oil or cod liver oil, which are both rich in omega-3 and contain DHA.

DHA is responsible for:

• Preventing the vast majority of premature deliveries
• Maximizing intelligence
• Optimizing vision in infants
• Protecting the baby from brain injuries such as autism, pervasive developmental delay and ADHD

Nearly all women would benefit from adding fish oil or cod liver oil to their diets, before and during their pregnancies, as most are deficient in omega-3. Surely there are some women who are regularly eating fish and therefore already have enough DHA in their systems, however fish poses a threat to the developing baby.

Women who eat fish will likely have a major increase in mercury in their system, which has been well documented to cause a variety of neurological birth defects. Even the conservative FDA warns that women should avoid most fish during pregnancy.

Taking fish oil during pregnancy, and avoiding fish, is a far more useful exercise than gulping down synthetic prenatal vitamin pills. The primary benefit of prenatal vitamins is the folic acid, which prevents neural tube defects. However, if you consume plenty of vegetables this folic acid supplement is unnecessary. It is also important to realize that prenatal vitamin supplements do not contain a microgram of DHA.

So, if you are pregnant, thinking about becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding I highly recommend that you start taking fish oil or cod liver oil today.

When choosing your fish oil or cod liver oil, it is important to remember that not all brands are the same. Especially in the case of pregnancy, you will want to be sure the oil has been purified of mercury and other potential toxins. In my research--and in my clinical experience with patients--I have found that the Carlson's brand of fish oil/cod liver oil is of the most superior quality (now is the time when most will want to switch from fish oil to cod liver oil, click here for details.

Carlson’s is likely not the only brand in the world of such high quality, but up to this point it is the only one of such quality that I can recommend, so I now carry Carlson's fish oil and cod liver oil on Mercola.com; you can also check your local health food store to see if they carry it.

In addition to fish oil/cod liver oil, there are other methods that can further reduce your risk of having a premature birth. These include:

• Exercising
• Avoiding exposure to pesticides
• Treating severe gum disease
• Making sure you eat enough high-quality calories
• Gaining a proper amount of weight
• Avoiding exposure to phthalates

These are simple steps that you can take to give your baby a healthy start at life. For other great pregnancy tips be sure to review the links below.