What can parents do to promote their infant’s health before the child is born?

What is pre-pregnancy care?

Pre-pregnancy care is the care a woman gets before she becomes fraught .
Women can help to promote a healthy pregnancy and the birth of a healthy baby by taking the postdate steps before they become pregnant 1 :

• Develop a plan for their reproductive life.
• Increase their daily intake of folic acid (one of the B vitamins) to at least 400 micrograms.
• Make sure their immunizations are up to date.
• Control their diabetes and other medical conditions.
• Avoid smoking, drinking, and drug use.
• Strive to get to a healthy weight.
• Learn about their family health history and that of their partner.
• Avoid stress by getting mentally healthy.

It is besides crucial that women contact their healthcare supplier a soon as they think they might be pregnant. That way, they can confirm their pregnancy and schedule their first prenatal examination .

What is prenatal care?

Women can increase their chances for a healthy pregnancy by getting regular prenatal care starting early in their pregnancy, eating right, exercising, and not smoking.

Prenatal care is the wish a womanhood gets during pregnancy. early and regular prenatal visits to a healthcare provider are crucial for the health of both the mother and her develop fetus. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, women who do not seek prenatal worry are three times vitamin a likely to deliver a low-birth-weight baby as those who do. Lack of prenatal manage can besides increase the risk of baby death. 2
Both the distance of prenatal visits and what happens during these visits vary depending on the workweek of pregnancy. generally, at each visit, women provide a urine sample, and a nanny checks their weight and blood imperativeness. They besides meet with their healthcare supplier to discuss how their pregnancy is progressing .

Prenatal Nutrition

fraught women need more folic acid ( a B vitamin ) and certain early nutrients in their diet to help ensure that their baby is born healthy. research shows that taking supplements of folic acid during pregnancy can prevent a type of parentage defect called neural tube defects. normally, a meaning womanhood ‘s healthcare provider will advise her to take a prenatal vitamin supplement .
The american english Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ( ACOG ) recommends that meaning women who were of normal weight unit before pregnancy increase their food inhalation by about 300 calories per day. 3 The total sum of weight a woman should gain during pregnancy depends on her pre-pregnancy weight. Women whose weight was in the goodly range before becoming meaning should gain between 25 and 35 pounds while pregnant. The advice is different for those who were fleshy or scraggy before becoming fraught. 4
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers an on-line joyride ( hypertext transfer protocol : //www.myplate.gov/life-stages/pregnancy-and-breastfeeding ) that can help women who are fraught or breastfeeding plan their meals to ensure that their nutrition is optimum as judged by inhalation of specific food groups and stage of pregnancy.

More information about weight derive during pregnancy is available in the “ How much weight should I gain during pregnancy ? ” section .

Exercise During Pregnancy

For most women, ACOG recommends exercising 30 minutes or more each day during pregnancy. exert can help improve many unpleasant symptoms experienced by some women ( such as bloat, swelling, and backaches ). It may besides improve women ‘s ability to cope with undertaking. 5
exercise is an important way to prevent or treat gestational diabetes, a condition that poses risks to the developing fetus. 6
Some forms of activeness should be avoided during pregnancy because they pose a eminent risk that the woman will fall and injure herself, her fetus, or both. It ‘s besides authoritative to avoid getting exsiccate or overheated. The ACOG offers some particular recommendations for activities that are condom during pregnancy . 6

Preparing for Baby’s Arrival

Infants depend on their caregivers to meet all their needs. Learning about your baby ‘s care and health is an crucial first step in making sure that he or she has the best health outcomes. Because you and other members of the class are the main caregivers for your child, it is significant for all of you to know about what ‘s involved in caring for your baby and ensuring that the child receives regular healthcare .
Infants need frequent checkups and vaccinations, and they sometimes get vomit .
Before the baby is born, it is a good idea to choose a healthcare provider—a baby doctor, family doctor, or pediatric nurse practitioner—who specializes in the caution of infants and children. A directory of pediatricians is available through the American Academy of Pediatrics .

Citations

Close Citations

1. March of Dimes. (2011). Getting ready for pregnancy. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/getting-ready-for-pregnancy-preconception-health.aspx
2. Office on Women’s Health. (2009). Publications: Prenatal care fact sheet. Retrieved April 12, 2012, from https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/prenatal-care
3. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2021). Nutrition during pregnancy. Retrieved August 27, 2021, from https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/nutrition-during-pregnancy
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Health & nutrition information for pregnant & breastfeeding women. Retrieved August 1, 2012, from https://www.myplate.gov/node/5390
5. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2019). Exercise during pregnancy. Retrieved August 27, 2021, from https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-during-pregnancy
6. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2020). Gestational diabetes. Retrieved August 27, 2021, from https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/gestational-diabetes