Pregnancy Preparation
A Perspective
The importance of pregnancy preparation
The outcomes of pregnancies for both mothers and babies have improved dramatically during the last century. Much of this progress is due to changes in social and living conditions as well as improved health care.[1]
Despite this progress, during the last two decades of the 20th century, the rate of improvement has decreased significantly. This relates particularly to premature delivery and low birth weight in Australia. [2]
Premature births are defined as those that occur before 37 weeks of pregnancy. In Australia,
- About 7 in every 100 pregnancies (7%), result in premature delivery
- Most of the premature deliveries occur in the last two months of pregnancy. The earlier the baby is born, the higher the chance of a serious problem.
- Problems that may affect women after a premature birth include mood disorders and anxiety
- This figure may be higher or lower according to where in Australia the woman lives and her ethnic background
The baby is most susceptible to developing certain problems in the first 10 to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Some of these may lead to a miscarriage or later complications. It needs to be recognised, however, that many women are not aware that they are pregnant until late in this critical period, and in most cases, the pregnancy outcome will be positive.
Dietary considerations both in the early pregnancy and prior to conception include supplementation with the B group vitamin, folic acid (folate). International and Australian studies have shown that when taken in sufficient doses, dietary folate reduces the chance that a woman will have a baby with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida. [3][4]
The continued improvement of pregnancy outcomes is vital and achievable. There is evidence that addressing some of the mother’s health issues, lifestyle and diet before she becomes pregnant can assist in improving pregnancy outcomes including reducing the rates of miscarriage and prematurity. [5]
Being informed and prepared therefore, before a pregnancy, may potentially reduce the likelihood for problems during a pregnancy. For this reason, a woman should try to consult with her health care provider at least 6 months before a pregnancy.
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[1] Papiernik E, Goffinet F (2004). Prevention of preterm births, the French experience. Clin Obstet Gynecol 47:755-767.
[2] Tracey S, Tracy M, Dean J, Laws P and Sullivan E (2007). Spontaneous preterm bith of liveborn infants in women at low risk in Australia over 10 years: a population-based study. BJOG 114:731-55
[3] Czeizel AE, Dudas I (1992). Prevention of the first occurrence of neural-tube defects by periconceptual vitamin supplementation. N Engl J Med 327:1832-35.
[4] Bower C, de Klerk N, Hickling S, Ambrosini G, Flicker L, Geelhoed E, Milne E (2006). Assessment of the potential effect of incremental increases in folic acid intake on neural tube defects in Australian and New Zealand. Aust N Z J Public Health 30:369-74.
[5] Maconochie N, Doyle P, Prior S, Simmons R. (2007). Risk factors for first trimester miscarriage-results from a UK-population-based case-control study. BJOG 114:170-86.
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