A healthy pregnancy starts with the parents, whether they follow traditional birthing methods in the provinces or have a medical birth in an urban hospital, a doctor said Thursday.

Dr. Tung Rathavy, deputy director of the National Maternal and Child Healthcare Center, said newborns should be handled with care and treated well.

Frequent visits to doctors—at least four times during the pregnancy—and a balanced diet would help bring a healthy baby, Tung Rathavy said.

Responding to questions from callers on "Hello VOA" Thursday, Tung Rathavy said new parents can make love about one and a half months after delivery, or when the wife has stopped bleeding, while prospective parents can continue intercourse until the day the child is born.