Pregnancy and Motherhood is a beautiful experience. Being in optimal health before conception is crucial for a healthy pregnancy and positive reproductive outcomes. Preconception health is the state of a woman’s well-being before she conceives. It involves understanding how her health conditions and risk factors can affect her and her unborn baby. Preconception Care and counselling involve health-promoting education and guidance before conceiving,
which helps to have a healthy, safe, complications-free Pregnancy. The World Health Organization defines preconception care as a series of interventions designed to promote the health and well-being of women and couples, aiming to improve pregnancy and childbirth health outcomes. In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) pointed out preconception care is relevant for all women of reproductive age.
Adolescence is a natural continuation of the phase of life before pregnancy. Counselling adolescents presents a valuable opportunity to encourage the adoption of healthy behavior's, promoting well-being during adolescence, adulthood, and beyond. An essential part of preconception care involves screening tests to rule out certain conditions like.
Investigating for Hematological disorders, e.g., testing for Thalassemia carrier
Mental or cognitive disorders
Folic acid supplementation-
It is recommended that women take a daily supplement of 400-800 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid, either in the form of a prenatal or multivitamin, and eat a balanced diet rich in folate. By beginning folic acid supplementation before conception and continuing it through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, women can significantly reduce the chances of having a baby with a neural tube defect (NTD) such as anencephaly, spina bifida, or encephalocele.
Other important recommendations are:
Planning pregnancy at the right age - Teenage pregnancies and pregnancy among older females are associated with more complications.
Preconception care aims to improve pregnancy outcomes and women’s overall health by preventing disease and managing risk factors that could negatively impact pregnancy outcomes.
Planning to become pregnant and taking specific steps can help reduce pregnancy risks. It also ensures normal, healthy and safe pregnancy.
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