Gastroschisis occurs during pregnancy when the muscles of the wall of the baby's abdomen do not form correctly. Some scientists think that genetics or an environmental exposure during pregnancy can cause gastroschisis, but the exact cause is still unknown.
We at CDC work with many other researchers to study risk factors that can increase the chance of having a baby with gastroschisis. Following are examples of what our research has found:

Teenage mothers are more likely to have a baby with gastroschisis than older mothers, and White teenagers have higher rates than Black or African-American teenagers.

Mothers eating a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet before they get pregnant can increase their risk for having a baby with gastroschisis, although more research is needed on this topic.
Currently, there is no known way to prevent gastroschisis. Even so, mothers can take steps before and during pregnancy to have a healthy pregnancy. These steps include taking a daily multivitamin with folic acid (400 micrograms), not smoking, and not drinking alcohol during pregnancy.