Preconception care is one of the most important parts of care for a woman who has plans of having a child. Most often, especially in our country where there is limited access to family planning, a woman can only know that she is pregnant after testing positive on a pregnancy test, which means that she is more likely farther in her pregnancy and the essential preconception care has then again been overlooked. The most critical period for organogenesis occurs before many women even know that they are pregnant, the first contact with antenatal care is often too late for advice about health-promoting changes in lifestyle.
Preconception care is vital for this would minimize the risk of possible complications by anticipating and preventing problems before they even occur. The couple’s childbearing and family planning should start even before they anticipate the fertile period, and an essential part of this is for the mother to maintain an optimum health not just when she is already bearing a child but more importantly when she is anticipating to have one. Provision of biomedical, behavioral, and social health interventions to women and couples before conception occurs improves the health status and reduces behaviors that contribute to poor maternal and child health outcomes.
REFERENCES:
Tyden, T. (2016, August 2). Why is preconception health and care important?. Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5098481/
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Preconception care: Maximizing the gains for maternal and child health. Policy Brief. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/preconception_care_policy_brief.pdf