Discuss how preconception care contributes to healthy pregnancy and positive pregnancy outcomes.
Pregnancy is a delicate process primarily because the development of an entirely new human being depends on the course of pregnancy. As such, care should be given in every stage of the pregnancy from preconception, during pregnancy, and after pregnancy, specifically postpartum. However, considering the financial situations of most Filipino families in addition to the inaccessibility of maternal health services in other parts of the country, receiving even just antenatal care is not even yet guaranteed. Although much of the attention and care are given during pregnancy, various literatures suggest that preconception care is also of vital importance in ensuring that the pregnancy is safe and successful, that is both the mother and baby are healthy and safe after delivery.
The reading posits that modifiable environmental determinants, rather than genetic predestination, are the etiological source of most chronic illnesses (Genius & Genius, 2016). As such, preconception care which includes modifying environmental factors can prevent the baby from acquiring various mental and physical health conditions. Furthermore, preconception care is also important because it ensures that the woman’s body and nutritional status are in optimal condition to support a healthy pregnancy. It is because various nutritional deficiencies in pregnancy can have dramatic effects on the incidence of illness in her offspring (Genius & Genius, 2016). Given this, educating the aspiring mothers or any woman of childbearing age about the importance of receiving preconception care such as vitamin supplementations for them to have a safe and healthy pregnancy when they finally conceive. For instance, Maternal B vitamin supplementation from preconception can help prevent folate deficiency during pregnancy which in turn reduces the risks of open neural tube defects, miscarriage, and Down’s syndrome. Furthermore, receiving preconception care also ensures that the risks of experiencing micronutrient deficiencies such as gestational iron deficiency and maternal iodine deficiency are reduced. Note that the two (2) aforementioned deficiencies can lead to cognitive & immune impairment as well as pediatric hypothyroidism & intellectual disabilities, respectively.
On the other hand, according to a study published in the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, the coronavirus can invade and destroy the placenta and lead to stillbirths in infected women. Furthermore, the study bolsters evidence from small case reports and it confirms that placenta damage rather than an infection of the fetus is the likely cause of many COVID-19-related stillbirths (Goldstein, 2022). In connection, women who are planning to get pregnant should get the vaccine for additional protection since there is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems (problems trying to get pregnant) in women or men (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). Rather, it provides the mother and the growing fetus protection against the threats that COVID-19 provides.
References:
COVID-19 Vaccines for People Who Would Like to Have a Baby. (2022). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/planning-for-pregnancy.html
Genius, S., & Genius, R. (2016). Preconception Care: A New Standard of Care within Maternal Health Services. BioMed Research International. Retrieved from: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2016/6150976/
Tanner, L. (2022). Coronavirus can destroy the placenta and lead to stillbirth. Messenger Inquirer. Retrieved from: https://www.messenger-inquirer.com/news/coronavirus-can-destroy-the-placenta-and-lead-to-stillbirth/article_9fd8fb3b-1a38-5584-b449-b544f234621d.html