As identified in the article, the major cause for complications occurring related to pregnancy are primarily due to environmental factors including toxicants and teratogens, nutrient deficiencies, as well as lifestyle choices. These factors and actions negatively impact the health of the mother, which then translates to their child/children during and after pregnancy as it is the mother's body that holds and supports the developing child in the womb. As a result of this, the child then bears the results of those determinants and decisions for the rest of their life, such as autism which can be present from birth, to diseases with adolescent and adult onset including multiple sclerosis and metabolic disorders. These chronic illnesses have seen a marked rise that damage the developmental capabilities of the offspring.
With the majority of damaging factors then being modifiable, especially lifestyle choices, it is possible for preconception care to be improved by promoting healthy behavior even before pregnancy and continuing to maintain it during and after pregnancy. The accumulated information finds that simply modifying the environment the mother is in before and during pregnancy significantly improves the developmental ability of the fetus and reduces their risk for diseases and developmental deficits. Lifestyle choices are another major modifiable factor. With good health in mind in making choices, the mother can improve her health, but also her child, even before conception, hence preconception care. Making healthier choices even before pregnancy helps ensure a healthy body and a healthy environment for a child to develop in during conception.
However, it is also crucial to realize that to fully modify all possible environmental and lifestyle factors that affect pregnancy and optimize it for optimal health and development of both mother and child is a difficult process that faces many limitations. Socioeconomic status is one major limiter in optimizing health as despite efforts to promote healthy pregnancies and educating vulnerable groups, many of them do not have the means to do so. Despite efforts to educate on an individual level, it can be difficult if the number of individuals to be educated far exceeds the number of health individuals available to educate them.
There is a necessity then for systemic change, which was also mentioned in the article calling for a "multifaceted approach" to Preconception Care which includes public education, strict government regulation of released toxicants into the environment, targeted group instruction, and provision of personalized services addressing specific requirements. Such changes can diffuse or reduce occurrence of issues faced by health professionals regarding education of pregnant women such as prenatal care being received at the end of the first trimester, the first trimester being of great significance as fetal development at this time is heavily influenced by environmental factors and lifestyle.
All of these considered, and despite the needed change on a system level with the aid of the government, continual education by health professionals to disseminate information and promote preconception care to the public is necessary to continue to improve public knowledge regarding pregnancy. By educating the public, more health conscious individuals will appear and take into consideration their choices and decisions, make healthier choices, and aid in promoting proper health care even before conception, protecting the child and their generations to come.