Discuss how preconception care contributes to healthy pregnancy and positive pregnancy outcomes.
Preconception care is a medical care received by men and women during their reproductive years to protect the health of a baby the might have in the future. Doctors and health professionals focuses on the parts of health that increases the chance of having a healthy baby.
A WHO report shows the preconception care has a positive impact on maternal and child health outcomes. According to CDC, due to the preconception health means parents take to be healthy before pregnancy, babies are less likely to be born early or have low birthweight. They are also more likely to be born without birth defects and disabling conditions.
WHO released a document that focuses on preconception care policy. It emphasized how preconception care makes a difference. It addresses various areas like nutritional conditions, tobacco use, genetic conditions, environmental health, infertility/sub-fertility, interpersonal violence, rapid successive pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV, mental health, psychoactive substance use, vaccine-preventable diseases, and female genital mutilation (FGM).
Preconception care aims to have a positive effect on every area for its goal on improving a range of health outcomes. Focusing and investing on these areas would reduce maternal and child mortality, prevent complications during pregnancy and delivery, prevent stillbirths, preterm birth and low birth weight, and prevent birth defects as some of its positive effects.
Thus, by ensuring the preconception health of future parents—knowing how health conditions and risk factors could affect the mother or her unborn baby—we lessen the risk for the babies.
References:
CDC. (2020, February 26). Preconception. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/preconception/overview.html
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
Office on Women's Health. (2018, June 6). Preconception health. Preconception health . Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-get-pregnant/preconception-health
WHO. (2013, February). Preconception Care Policy Brief. World Health Organization. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/preconception_care_policy_brief.pdf