Community

2nd Cmrd. Edmond Tizeno, CHP. Clinton Perry and Cmrd. Don Hall (above) of American Legion Post 520 in Jennings prepare to lead the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade in Jennings. Daily News photos by Allison Cryer

If you are thinking about becoming pregnant, now is a perfect time to make a plan. There are steps you can take to increase your chances of having a healthy, full-term pregnancy and baby – and part of that includes learning about birth defects. Understanding birth defects across the lifespan can help those affected have the information they need to seek proper care. Each year, birth defects affect about 1 in 33 babies born in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mainly developing in the first three months of pregnancy as a baby’s organs form, birth defects present as structural changes and can affect one or more parts of the body (heart, brain, foot, etc.). They can cause problems for a baby’s overall health, how the body develops and functions, and are a leading cause of infant death.

Mary Foreman of Jennings celebrated her 90th birthday Dec. 22 surrounded by friends at Westminster Homes.

District 37 State Representative Troy Romero spoke at the Jeff Davis Parish Republican Women’s meeting Monday, Jan. 3. He spoke about the upcoming redistricting session in Louisiana. Legislators use census data every 10 years to redesign political maps for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, State House, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and Public Service Commission to account for population shifts and evenly distribute Louisiana residents among districts. Each district is allowed a population of approximately 44,300 by law. District 37 has grown by more than the allowable number, so some adjustments will have to be made. Some areas in the state have lost population while others have gained a great deal, making the process very complicated. However, by law, the redistricting must be completed by the end of 2022.