Pre-conception care (PCC) significantly contributes to a healthy pregnancy and an increased likelihood of having positive pregnancy outcomes as reproductive-aged women with the potential to conceive can adequately prepare their nutritional status, while also being aware in practicing different measures to avoid chemical, electromagnetic radiation, and other toxicant exposures. While prenatal care has become successful in decreasing risks during pregnancy and defects in the baby’s development, PCC provides health education and preparation for pregnancy that would better aid the critical development of the fetus during its first weeks or the first trimester. For example, an early pregnant woman who was not aware of being 6 weeks into pregnancy or even earlier stages may have consumed alcohol; according to the article, even a small exposure to alcohol may already cause an unsafe impact on the development of the embryo. With proper planning and pre-conception care awareness, the woman may have already started decreasing or avoiding her alcohol consumption altogether. By having PCC, women preparing for conception may also ease into the necessary diet changes and lifestyle modifications they need to have a healthy pregnancy that otherwise may have been more stressful to do when they are already months into gestation.
Having a sufficient and efficient preparation for a to-be pregnant woman’s optimal nutritional status is done by correcting existing deficiencies of nutrients that are essential to the healthy growth of the baby. Nutrient deficiencies that must be corrected to prevent the development of defects during gestation include vitamin D, magnesium, and DHA deficiencies. The reproductive-aged woman may prepare not only healthy food and the recommended organic diet resources but also the needed financial resources. Furthermore, in this way, risks involved when administering supplements during gestation may be avoided or reduced.
Because the PCC involves preparation way ahead of the actual gestation, illnesses or conditions that may adversely affect the pregnancy journey may be addressed beforehand through necessary medications or therapy and other interventions. In addition, securing optimal fetal biome development is also included in PCC which involves avoidance of gestational antibiotics as well as considering vaginal swab seeding in case of a Caesarean delivery. It is to be noted that normal maternal-offspring microbiota exchange is necessary for the baby's proper growth and development until adulthood.
PCC would then encompass providing general pregnancy health education for would-be mothers, while also giving individualized pregnancy care.
Reference: Genius, S.J. & Genius, R.A. (2016). Preconception Care: A New Standard of Care within Maternal Health Services. BioMed Research International, 2016, p.1-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/6150976