Editing Prenatal care (section)

== Prenatal Nutrition ==
Main article: [[Prenatal nutrition]]

Prenatal care not only applies to the parent carrying the baby, but it also applies to the sperm donor. Sperm affects the fetus's ability to grow properly, and proper nutrition is one of the main factors.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Fallah |first1=Ali |last2=Mohammad-Hasani |first2=Azadeh |last3=Colagar |first3=Abasalt Hosseinzadeh |date=2018 |title=Zinc is an Essential Element for Male Fertility: A Review of Zn Roles in Men's Health, Germination, Sperm Quality, and Fertilization |journal=Journal of Reproduction & Infertility |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=69–81 |issn=2228-5482 |pmc=6010824 |pmid=30009140}}</ref> For example, a zinc deficiency can lead to sperm deformations and reduced sperm motility which can cause infertility or improper fertilization of the egg, which has the potential to cause miscarriages or fetal deformities.<ref name=":4" /> Spina bifida, which is caused by a folic acid deficiency, is another example of the effects of prenatal malnutrition.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=CDC |date=2025-01-02 |title=Data and Statistics |url=https://www.cdc.gov/spina-bifida/data/index.html#:~:text=2,875%20births1.-,Hispanic%20women%20have%20the%20highest%20rate%20of%20having%20a%20child,pregnancies%20affected%20by%20spina%20bifida. |access-date=2025-03-05 |website=Spina Bifida |language=en-us}}</ref>  Foods are typically fortified with folic acid to reduce this, but some flours like masa flour are not within those federal outlines,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hamner |first1=Heather C. |last2=Tinker |first2=Sarah C. |date=2014 |title=Fortification of corn masa flour with folic acid in the United States: an overview of the evidence |journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=1312 |issue=1 |pages=8–14 |bibcode=2014NYASA1312....8H |doi=10.1111/nyas.12325 |issn=1749-6632 |pmc=4480372 |pmid=24494975}}</ref> which is theorized to be why Hispanic women are most likely to have children with spina bifida.<ref name=":5" /> Because of all this, it is normally encouraged that women take a prenatal vitamin to prevent these fetal deformations and deficiency symptoms.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Freedman |first1=Robert |last2=Hunter |first2=Sharon K. |last3=Hoffman |first3=M. Camille |date=July 2018 |title=Prenatal Primary Prevention of Mental Illness by Micronutrient Supplements in Pregnancy |journal=American Journal of Psychiatry |volume=175 |issue=7 |pages=607–619 |doi=10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17070836 |issn=0002-953X |pmc=6984656 |pmid=29558816}}</ref>