Preconception health for wanting to have a baby includes stopping smoking, drinking, and using drugs.

• A. Stop smoking, drinking, and using drugs
• B. Maintain current habits
• C. Only stop smoking
• D. Avoid alcohol only

Answer: (A)

Preconception health means optimizing the parents’ health and removing exposures that can harm a developing baby. Stopping tobacco, alcohol, and any drugs before trying to conceive is the best approach because each of these substances can increase risks for the pregnancy and the baby: tobacco use lowers fertility and raises chances of miscarriage, placental problems, and delivering a baby with low birth weight; alcohol can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and other developmental issues; drugs can lead to birth defects, growth problems, and neonatal withdrawal. By quitting all three, you reduce preventable risks and set a healthier starting point for both parents and the baby. The other options fall short because continuing any of these behaviors keeps at least some risk intact—only stopping smoking misses alcohol and drug risks, avoiding alcohol alone leaves tobacco and drugs unaddressed, and maintaining current habits preserves all risks.