Women undergo dramatic metabolic, hormonal, and physical changes during pregnancy and childbirth. At present, there is still little recognition that multiple potentially modifiable risk factors affecting future outcomes of pregnancy occur before conception and many obstetrical and fetal health problems can be entirely avoided if adequate precaution is taken. Healthcare providers and their patients are given the opportunity to discuss these risk factors and how to address them during preconception care. Preconception care means providing biological, behavioral, and social health interventions to women before they become pregnant. It focuses on improving the health of the couple by minimizing harmful behaviors and individual and environmental pollution.
Many illnesses are connected to modifiable gestational variables and, in many circumstances, can be avoided by making informed preconception and prenatal decisions. A woman's nutritional status, for example, has a major impact on her children's health. Folate deficiency is linked to open neural tube abnormalities, miscarriage, and Down's syndrome; Vitamin D deficiency is linked to first-trimester pregnancy loss, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and maternal postpartum depression; and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) deficiency is linked to central nervous system disturbances, poor sleep patterns, and lower IQ in offspring. Furthermore, antibiotic usage during pregnancy, unfiltered chlorine in drinking water, and exposure to certain pesticides in food or drink may disturb normal maternal-offspring microbiota interaction, which has been linked to antisocial behavior and anxiety in children.
Additionally, maternal exposure to harmful chemicals and toxicants during pregnancy (whether from household/vehicle, electrical, occupational, or food sources) might have negative effects on gestational outcomes and the developing fetus. Thousands of chemical agents discharged into our air, water, land, and foodstuffs, expose the majority of people to toxicants on a daily basis and contribute to a wide range of health issues such as cancer, mental disease, and autism. Most infants are prepolluted even before they take their first breath, according to cord blood research, with each child's sample containing an average of 200 unique toxicants in the study, including pesticides, heavy metals, bioaccumulated toxicants in mothers (from a long time ago), and a variety of other pollutants.
Most reproductive-age women are exposed to harmful chemicals through contaminated air, with common sources at home including flame retardants and compounds produced by personal care items, toxicants emitted through electronic equipment vents, and other sources. These have been linked to negative outcomes such as pediatric allergies, lower IQ, infectious disease, respiratory sickness, autism, and childhood cancers among other problems. Occupational exposure to traffic-related air pollution may increase the risk of cardiac defects in kids, whereas maternal work involving airborne exposure to potentially harmful cleaning agents has been linked to several major birth abnormalities. Exposure to numerous insecticides and herbicides has been related to neurological and cardiovascular issues, as well as an increased risk of cancer in the offspring of exposed women. Prenatal supplements contaminated with toxic elements, particularly lead, are another notable potential source of toxic element contamination. It has recently been determined that even "low" levels of lead exposure may be associated with neurodevelopmental deficits in children.
Recent evidence from human studies shows that maternal EMR exposure from mobile phones can result in an increased fetal heart rate and decreased cardiac output, while close residential proximity to sources of extremely low-frequency EMR during pregnancy is linked to a significant reduction in birth weight. Lastly, other emerging exposures of concern are paternal exposures (paternal exposure to certain solvents in the year before conception has been linked to an increased rate of childhood cancer), nanoparticles (ability to cross the placenta and some have been linked to fetal neurotoxicity and structural and functional abnormalities within the placenta) and genetically modified foods (uptake and incorporation of modified genetic material from such foods into the human biome).
The data presented in the article verifies that existing health problems, problem behaviors, and individual and environmental risks contribute to poor maternal and child health outcomes. Preconception care addresses these problems by implementing care interventions and providing adequate information to assist pregnant couples in making well-considered decisions about their health and fertility. Once patients are well educated, they can take steps in making a reproductive life plan, having regular checkups, taking nutrient supplementation regularly, and minimizing toxicant exposure. All of these boost the woman's health and her ability to support life. This contributes to a healthy pregnancy, positive pregnancy outcomes, and improves the health of babies as grow and develop. Preconception care is essential for all women of reproductive age because it is centered on choosing healthy habits and creating a healthy lifestyle regardless of whether the woman is planning a pregnancy or not. Since the most critical period for organ development occurs before most women are even aware of their pregnancy, the first contact with antenatal care is often too late for advice on making healthy lifestyle changes. As more and more evidence emerges about these factors and their association with adverse pediatric outcomes, pregnant couples need to be aware of the potential benefits and harms in their everyday environment and understand how lifestyle modifications can have a profound and positive impact on health outcomes for them their children.
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