In the article, it was mentioned that pediatric affliction may be attributed to the fetal development. From that statement, preconception care is placed in its utmost importance. This is true enough, as the gestational phase is a vulnerable stage that can impact the future of the offspring.
Preconception care contributes towards healthy pregnancy and positive pregnancy outcomes through different ways. First, it helps prevent the development of short and long-term health issues and complications that can stem from different etiologies. For instance, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies can cause specific disorders or complications to arise. Folate deficiency, for example, increases the risk for developing neural tube defects, miscarriage, and Down's syndrome. Gestational iron deficiency, meanwhile, is responsible for the impaired cognitive and immune system in the offspring. Therefore, to resolve or mitigate the risks for complications, it is really important to meet the adequate maternal nutritional needs to prevent pediatric complications in the future.
However, maternal nutritional needs should be met in a proper way. Regarding food choices, it is better to consume foods that are not exposed towards insecticides and herbicides, as it may contain toxins/chemicals that could affect the gestational development, leading to certain complications. It is best that women must choose organic food diet as it is proven to contain less toxins which, thus, lessen the risk for health problems of the offsprings.
Preconception care could also help minimize the operative delivery, which may affect the healthy microbiome of the offspring. For instance, the passing of the baby through normal delivery would help decrease the risk for developing different complications (e.g., asthma), or may even help in regulating and boosting the immune system. To minimize the chance of operative delivery, prenatal care through addressing modifiable risk factors, such as high BMI and vitamin D deficiency, are done.
Preconception care also helps in promoting optimal fetal development through having proper knowledge and understanding of the effects of different chemicals and toxicants, when exposed. These chemicals may include cigarette smoking, teratogenic medications, alcohols, etc. Through proper teaching of its intended consequences, this would help maternals/women to refrain from or avoid in being involved on such elements. It would also help lessen the anxieties from the possibility of having an offspring with defects.
From the said article, I personally find the statement, wherein obstetricians have no training in toxicology and environmental health, quite alarming. As a nurse, one of our nursing responsibilities is client teaching. With that, we must be properly equipped with a good foundation of different modifiable disease-causing fetal agents, as this would help prevent the development of illnesses of the children. This would also prevent us, nurses, in being held accountable for the development of the health complications of the child due to our negligence of duty.
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