Infant health: The importance of preconception and interconception care
By Hugh E. Mighty, MD and Jenifer Fahey, CNM, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Medical care during pregnancy is extremely important to ensure good outcomes for both mother and infant, but to optimize outcomes we must undergo a real shift in how we think of prenatal care.
The preconception and interconception period is a window of opportunity to ensure that a mother and infant will be healthy and safe.
Interventions before pregnancy can reduce:
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Infant and child obesity child and adult diabetes
Infant and child obesity child and adult diabetes •Birth defects
Birth defects •Preterm births
Preterm births •Maternal deaths
Maternal deaths •Fetal and infant deaths
Fetal and infant deaths •the importance of preconception healthcare counseling to all women of childbearing age;
the importance of preconception healthcare counseling to all women of childbearing age; •smoking cessation-counseling training targeting pregnant women and families of infants;
smoking cessation-counseling training targeting pregnant women and families of infants; •importance of folic acid supplementation for all women of childbearing age;
importance of folic acid supplementation for all women of childbearing age; •importance of optimal weight prior to pregnancy;
importance of optimal weight prior to pregnancy; •substance abuse patient education;
substance abuse patient education; •the importance of breastfeeding promotion
the importance of breastfeeding promotion.
