Discuss how preconception care contributes to a healthy pregnancy and positive pregnancy outcomes. Post answers as replies in the discussion forum.
In the article, Genius & Genius (2016) states that the first 38th weeks of life of a fetus growing and developing inside a mother’s womb are medically eventful, thus making it more fraught with danger, as both the mother and the fetus are extremely sensitive to exposure to harmful agents, modification of the environment, and changes in nutritional needs. The gestation period of pregnancy is when the developing child in utero has increased vulnerability due to physiological differences between the body of a developing fetus and its mother. There is a distinct susceptibility to various agents that may not appear to harm the pregnant woman but may have a profound detrimental impact on the fetus due to the inability of its placental unit to filter toxicants, immature fetal liver, low levels of fetal binding proteins, underdeveloped excretion pathways, immature and permeable blood-brain barrier, and higher toxicant concentrations by weight. Therefore, preconception care must be enhanced and encouraged among pregnant mothers and their family members to ensure a healthy pregnancy wherein both the fetus and mother are in optimal health and the safe delivery of a well-developed infant.
It has been declared that preconception care is the next maternal and child health frontier of prevention of illnesses and complications in the mother and child. Offering a multifaceted approach to preconception care to and actively engaging women and expecting couples through generalized classes and instructions on individualized personal care can provide them sufficient knowledge to ensure healthy pregnancies and preclude adverse gestational outcomes. Knowing the physical and nutritional requirements for optimal health during pregnancy, and avoiding gestational nutritional deficiencies and insufficiency of optimal biome development in the neonate reduce maternal and pediatric compromises, such as open neural tube defects, miscarriage, and Down’s syndrome.
In addition, modifications in lifestyle choices and interventions must be monitored and discussed among pregnant women. Avoidance of toxic chemicals and household exposure, as well as other harmful substances such as electromagnetic radiation from technological devices, should be raised. Maternal occupational exposure to adverse chemicals in a variety of professions must be reduced because it is directly linked to adverse outcomes in children, such as cardiac defects, major birth abnormalities, and genital malformations. Furthermore, educating and promoting awareness regarding certain interventions, such as immunizations and certain medications, are not advisable during pregnancy, and how underlying conditions prior to pregnancy can greatly affect the baby helps in eradicating the possibility of unwanted effects during the development of the fetus.
Preconception care has a vital role in healthy pregnancy and positive pregnancy outcomes. It provides various learnings, counseling, and instructions prior to conceiving a child and can be modified to fit the pregnant woman’s personal needs and preferences to optimize their health during pregnancy and the health of their future children. Through preconception care, expecting couples and women of reproductive age can be equipped with sufficient knowledge and given enough time on how to properly plan their pregnancy safely and avoid modifiable gestational complications, hence, improving birth outcomes and reducing the number of fetal and maternal mortality and morbidity.
REFERENCE:
Genuis, S. J., & Genuis, R. A. (2016). Preconception Care: A New Standard of Care within Maternal Health Services. BioMed Research International, 2016, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6150976