A
5200 Harry Hines Blvd.
,
Dallas
,
TX
75235
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- 214-590-8000
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- locate a patient
- connect with a hospital unit
- 214-590-8000
- schedule an appointment with our clinics if you are a new patient
- 214-590-5601
- praise staff or hospital
- report patient care issues
- 469-419-0820
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- help with financial issues
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- 214-590-4900
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- provide spiritual or emotional comfort
- 214-590-8512
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- Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7p.m
- 214-590-7000
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- 214-590-1152
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- provide information about Parkland jobs
- 214-590-8073
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- provide information on products and equipment
- 214-590-4600
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- 214-590-4600
- Visitation hours may vary by floor
- 214-590-8000
- Main Retail Café: Mon - Sun | 6:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Starbucks Café: WISH Building | Mon - Fri | 5:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Park Market Café: Mon - Fri | 6:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. | 8 p.m. - 4 a.m. | Sat -Sun | 7 p.m. - 4 a.m.
- Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday & Sunday: 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- 214-590-8831
- Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Monday - Friday: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.
- Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday: Closed
- Holiday hours may be different
Posted: 10/2/2015
Getting prenatal care is important for having a healthy baby. Pregnant women who take adequate amounts of vitamins daily, including folic acid, can prevent serious birth defects to their baby’s brain and spine. Because up to half of all pregnancies are not planned, it’s important for women of childbearing age to get enough folic acid daily if there is any chance they could become pregnant.
As many as 3,000 babies are born each year in the United States with neural tube defect. Folic acid has been found to be very important for women considering pregnancy and during pregnancy in the prevention of neural tube defects. The U.S. Public Health Service has recommended since 1992 that all women of childbearing age take 400 micrograms of folic acid per day to reduce the risk of neural tube defects that affect the brain and spinal cord.
Taking folic acid daily during pregnancy could prevent up to 70 percent of some types of serious birth defects. Spina bifida, a birth defect of the spine, can cause paralysis of the lower body and learning disabilities. Another type of birth defect affects the brain and causes babies to die within a few days of birth.
Parkland experts recommend the following steps for a healthy pregnancy:
- When you find out you are pregnant, schedule a prenatal visit. At Parkland, all prenatal clients are started on folic acid and iron at their first visit to help ensure good outcomes for mother and baby.
- Eat foods rich in folic acid such as leafy green vegetables, whole grain products and cereals enriched with folic acid.
- If you are planning on getting pregnant, your Parkland doctor can provide pre-conception counseling that includes education about taking folic acid, proper nutrition and the avoidance of alcohol and smoking.
Parkland’s dedicated health care team offers a range of women’s health services, from basic gynecology check-ups and routine prenatal care to high-risk pregnancy care and complex surgeries.
If you need prenatal care, find a women’s health center near you.