Pre-conception Care
Read the article ‘Preconception Care: A New Standard of Care within Maternal Health Services’ https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2016/6150976/ (Lin
Discuss how preconception care contributes to healthy pregnancy and positive pregnancy outcomes. Post answers as reply in the discussion forum.
Preconception care (PCC) refers to a series of mental, biomedical, and psychosocial health services provided to women in their reproductive age. Its ultimate goal is to improve maternal and child outcomes during and after pregnancy through the means of wellness promotion and preventive care implementation. It is considered a primary care given by primary health providers such as nurses and doctors to ensure quality maternal and child health. It constitutes health services such as micronutrient supplementation (Folate supplementation), infectious disease (STI/HIV) screening and testing, vaccination, healthy diet therapy, prevention of substance use, and reproductive health counseling.
According to the article, preconception care reduces the risk of various preventable gestational complications which are found to be etiologically related to deficiency and toxicity. For example, folic acid supplementation is recommended before and during early pregnancy because it reduces the risk of anemia to mothers and neural tube defects (NTDs) like anencephaly and spina bifida to fetuses. Other important dietary nutrients are also discussed and promoted during this period in order to raise awareness and prevent common gestational deficiencies. Moreover, preconception care recognizes the need to educate women regarding toxicant exposure from cigarette smoke, illicit drugs, or teratogenic medications due to its adverse consequences not only on their health status but also on gestational outcomes and to the developing fetus.
Furthermore, several medical conditions and pharmaceutical use are also best addressed ahead of conception and may require significant time to effectively address. For instance, women who are undergoing diabetic control and taking antidepressant medication might be advised to consume adequate nutrition, engage in regular exercise, quit smoking, and stop alcohol, or drug use in order to prevent and manage possible maternal complications in the future. Hence, women who have undergone preconception care are more prepared during pregnancy compared to women who only begin to receive prenatal care partway through or near the end of their first trimester.
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