Discuss how preconception care contributes to a healthy pregnancy and positive pregnancy outcomes.
Preparing for pregnancy may be both thrilling and overwhelming. When a woman becomes pregnant, she takes on greater responsibility for not just her own health but also for the life that is growing inside of her, which is why it is more important than ever to ensure that she is healthy and well-cared for. It is critical that healthcare providers are able to give them practical knowledge that encourages them to maximize their health in order to avoid maternal sequelae that have a direct impact on their future children's health.
There are a number of preventable and modifiable prenatal/gestational determinants/factors that exert short- and long-term impact on the health of the child being conceived. Evidence says that these factors contributed to increasing rates of preterm, and complications in children, such as autism, neurodevelopmental disorders, learning disabilities, impaired IQ, asthma, pediatric allergy, chromosomal abnormalities, congenital anomalies, pediatric and early adolescent cancers, eating disorders, CV diseases, metabolic disorders, compromised bone health, and more. It is concerning how most women are not provided with preconception care until during their conception or near the end of their first trimester, which is considered the most critical time of conception because it is when fetuses begin to develop their major organs and are most vulnerable to gestational determinants and harmful agents. Women should be able to manage their existing health concerns and be informed about lifestyle adjustments they should make before becoming pregnant in order to lay a healthy foundation. Preconception care is central to both the mother and the fetus. According to Genius (2016), it is the maternal and child health frontier of prevention and must be provided to women prior to their conception, or women in their reproductive age in general. This care would include generalized instructions as well as individualized personal care in order to address their specific needs.
Pregnancy-related issues regarding the mother's health, the fetus's health, or both cause pregnant women a lot of anxiety and stress. It is critical that they are informed about how to deal with these issues, such as what is required and what should be avoided for a healthy pregnancy and infant, and that prospective parents understand and implement these measures. Prospective parents should understand that there is no such thing as a "safe dose" of toxic chemicals, and any level of exposure must be assumed to be dangerous to the developing fetus. They don't have the ability to filter out chemical toxins. Due to their underdeveloped livers, detoxification is also impossible. Their blood-brain barrier is more permeable to toxins, and their voided urine is simply recycled by amniotic fluid re-uptake. It's also vital that they learn about adequate nutrition, as nutritional deficiencies can have a serious influence on the child's health. Intake of essential nutrients is crucial to ensure appropriate development and formation of fetal tissues. The use of antibiotics can also disrupt maternal-offspring microbiota exchange and could possibly risk susceptibility to the offspring to bacterial infections. There should be caution with supplemental intake during gestation. There is a need to avoid electromagnetic radiation which one can acquire from carrying mobile phones anywhere on the body or being in close proximity to routers or cell phones during phone calls.
The risk of difficulties for both the mother and the child is considerably reduced when women of reproductive age are introduced to preconception care at an early age. Early detection and treatment can provide women a greater sense of control over the problems that occur, and when combined with excellent prenatal care, we are more likely to see positive and healthy maternal and child health outcomes.
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