Case Study 2 The health of a woman and her partner prior to pregnancy are of utmost importance for a healthy fetus. When a woman and her partner are healthy prior to pregnancy, unintended or planned, the woman and her fetus have a better chance at a healthy gestation. Preconception health care can be incorporated into every visit with all women of reproductive age who are not pregnant. It is a primary intervention that benefits reproductive-age women and their potential children. The goal of preconception care is health education and promotion, risk assessment, and intervention before pregnancy to reduce the chances of poor perinatal outcomes (Fowler et al., 2021). The Centers for Disease and Control established goals and evidence-based guidelines for preconception care as followed: · Make a plan: Setting goals and planning how to achieve those goals. Family planning and pregnancy prevention is key to pregnancy readiness.  · See a primary care physician annually: Any woman with a chronic disease should review her desire to become pregnant with her PCP. The doctor will review any previous pregnancy problems, current medication regimen, vaccinations and steps that should be taken prior to pregnancy.  · Take Folic acid daily: Early use of Folic acid prevents neural tube defects. According to the CDC, if a woman has enough folic acid in her body at least 1 month before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine.   · Smoking cessation and stop drinking excessive amounts of alcohol: Smoking, drinking alcohol and using certain drugs can negatively affect the pregnancy. Termination of these activities prevents the occurrence of premature birth, birth defects and infant death.   · Avoid toxic substances: Toxins with potential impact on reproductive health include lead, arsenic, fluoride, toluene, flame retardants, plastics, and pesticides  (Fowler et al., 2021). These substances can hurt the reproductive systems of men and women and make it more difficult to get pregnant.  · Reach and maintain a healthy weight: Obesity is associated with multiple perinatal risks including increased risk for gestational diabetes, hypertension, congenital heart disease in the fetus and a higher risk of difficult deliveries, cesarean section, and complications of delivery.  · Get help for violence: Violence screening and getting help is an extremely important preconception. Violence can lead to injury and death and lifelong physical and emotional scars. During pregnancy, violence increases the chances for injury to the uterus, miscarriage, stillbirth preterm delivery.  · Learn your family history: Collecting a thorough family history can identify whether there is a higher risk for disease for mother or baby. A complete family history should include information about the mother, father and both of their families.   · Mental health: Parental mental health before and during pregnancy has been known to influence the developmen ...

1. Case Study 2
The health of a woman and her partner prior to pregnancy are of
utmost importance for a healthy fetus. When a woman and her
partner are healthy prior to pregnancy, unintended or planned,
the woman and her fetus have a better chance at a healthy
gestation. Preconception health care can be incorporated into
every visit with all women of reproductive age who are not
pregnant. It is a primary intervention that benefits reproductive-
age women and their potential children. The goal of
preconception care is health education and promotion, risk
assessment, and intervention before pregnancy to reduce the
chances of poor perinatal outcomes (Fowler et al., 2021). The
Centers for Disease and Control established goals and evidence -
based guidelines for preconception care as followed:
· Make a plan: Setting goals and planning how to achieve those
goals. Family planning and pregnancy prevention is key to
pregnancy readiness.
· See a primary care physician annually: Any woman with a
chronic disease should review her desire to become pregnant
with her PCP. The doctor will review any previous pregnancy
problems, current medication regimen, vaccinations and steps
that should be taken prior to pregnancy.
· Take Folic acid daily: Early use of Folic acid prevents neural
tube defects. According to the CDC, if a woman has enough
folic acid in her body at least 1 month before and during
pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s
brain and spine.
· Smoking cessation and stop drinking excessive amounts of
alcohol: Smoking, drinking alcohol and using certain drugs can
negatively affect the pregnancy. Termination of these activities
prevents the occurrence of premature birth, birth defects and
infant death.
· Avoid toxic substances: Toxins with potential impact on
reproductive health include lead, arsenic, fluoride, toluene,

2. flame retardants, plastics, and pesticides (Fowler et al., 2021).
These substances can hurt the reproductive systems of men and
women and make it more difficult to get pregnant.
· Reach and maintain a healthy weight: Obesity is associated
with multiple perinatal risks including increased risk for
gestational diabetes, hypertension, congenital heart disease in
the fetus and a higher risk of difficult deliveries, cesarean
section, and complications of delivery.
· Get help for violence: Violence screening and getting help is
an extremely important preconception. Violence can lead to
injury and death and lifelong physical and emotional scars.
During pregnancy, violence increases the chances for injury to
the uterus, miscarriage, stillbirth preterm delivery.
· Learn your family history: Collecting a thorough family
history can identify whether there is a higher risk for disease
for mother or baby. A complete family history should include
information about the mother, father and both of their
families.
· Mental health: Parental mental health before and during
pregnancy has been known to influence the development of
offspring. If mental health is of concern, one should seek
professional help.
· Plan the pregnancy: Promote family planning services. Once
you are pregnant, it is important to continue healthy habits and
continue regular doctor visits throughout the pregnancy.
Ensuring preconception health is a great way to reduce maternal
and infant morbidity and mortality and to create a healthy
family. The CDC’s guidelines focus on screening, health
promotion and interventions to support a healthy pregnancy.
Preconception counseling must focus on optimizing both
primary and secondary prevention, treatment compliance, and
improving overall well-being prior to becoming pregnant
(Fowler et al., 2021). Pregnancy readiness and a planned
pregnancy is the optimal goal.
Cultural Influence on Growth and Development
Growth and development is a complex process that is influenced

3. by many factors including culture. At the age at which a child is
expected to master certain developmental tasks is determined
partly by cultural expectations (Edelman & Kudzma, 2018).
Through culture, children gain a sense of identity, a feeling of
belonging, and beliefs about what is important in life, what is
right and wrong, how to care for themselves and others, and
what to celebrate, eat and wear. Based on cultural background,
achieving developmental milestones may vary.
Preventing Infant Injury
Unintentional injuries in infants have been shown to be reduced
with better knowledge and practices on infant safety.
Educational intervention for parents include ways to prevent
falls, burns, swallowing or choking of foreign objects and
suffocation. Babies wiggle and move and push against things
with their feet soon after they are born. Never leave an infant
unattended on a raised surface that has no guardrails (Edelman
& Kudzma, 2018). The safest place for an infant is the floor.
Burns are the most frequent accidents during infancy. Fires, hot
liquids, ultraviolet light from the sun, electricity and heating
elements can all cause burns (Edelman & Kudzma,
2018). Babies explore their environment by putting anything
and everything into their mouths. Small objects should never be
left in the baby’s reach. All solid foods should be cut into
small, thin pieces to prevent choking. Choking is the leading
cause of unintentional death in infants (Edelman & Kudzma,
2018). To prevent possible suffocation and reduce the risk of
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), infants should always
sleep on their back. The crib should have no pillows, stuffed
toys, bumpers or loose bedding. When childproofing the home,
remove any heavy, sharp, or breakable objects anywhere the
infant has access to. Bolt heavy furniture to the wall and secure
all cords to prevent appliances from being pulled down. Store
potentially toxic substances out of sight and reach from the
infant and buy bottles with childproof lids. Never leave the
child on high surfaces unattended and avoid leaving an infant in
the bathtub alone. Install child proof latches on drawers and

4. cupboards and always be mindful of small objects left around
the infant that can be swallowed. Most uninte ntional injuries are
preventable and happen often because parents are not aware of
what their children can do. Parental education is essential for
infant safety and injury prevention.
References
Edelman, C., & Kudzma, E. (2018). Health Promotion
Throughout the Life Span. Elsevier.
Fowler JR, Mahdy H, Jack BW. (2021). Preconception
Counseling. StatPearls.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441880/
Case Study Three
Those who become pregnant early in their teenage years
need additional care and guidance throughout their pregnancy
and during parenting. Pregnant teens have unique health
concerns because their bodies are still developing and growing,
and their emotional states can be very fragile. Many teen
mothers may find breastfeeding awkward and feel hesitant to
attempt it. Therefore, proper education, instruction, and
encouragement are vital. Expecting teenage mothers should be
informed that it is recommended they nurse their children for at
least six months because a mother's milk is rich in nutrients and
specific to their child's needs (Krol & Grossmann, 2018). Also,
studies reveal those babies who are exclusively breastfed for the
first few months of life are less suspectable to allergies,
stomach viruses, and ear infections because their milk contains
disease-fighting antibodies (Krol & Grossmann, 2018).
Breastfed babies are less likely to become obese as they get
older, have a lower incidence of sudden infant death syndrome,
and have higher intelligence. Breastfeeding mothers benefit by
experiencing fewer cases of postpartum depression, having a
decreased risk of certain cancers, and experiencing an increase
in weight loss postpartum (Krol & Grossmann, 2018).
Additionally, information and instruction would be

5. given on what to expect and do while breastfeeding, such as the
changes in the color of milk production, pain while feeding,
sore nipples, engorgement, leaking, babies refusing to
breastfeed, etc. To increase the duration of this activity, I would
display an environment that is open, welcoming, and free from
judgment to encourage young women to return and continue
gaining the knowledge and skills to become successful with
breastfeeding. As breastfeeding does not come naturally to all, I
would encourage the expecting mothers to not give up after just
one try. I would reinforce that having difficulty with infants
latching on, sore nipples, or having little milk production is a
natural occurrence and provide them with lactation consultants
or other resources who can guide them to successful nursing.
Culture influences a child's growth and development in
many ways, such as through society, parents, and the
environment. Culture can affect a child's language,
understanding of themselves, and values and beliefs. Regardless
of our cultural backgrounds, all children go through
developmental milestones; however, I believe each landmark is
unique to each child and will vary depending on their
surrounding cultural values and belief system.
Many interventions and strategies should be enforced to
prevent infant injuries. This teaching plan aims to help parents
minimize the occurrence of harm or injury among infants. The
teaching plan will include choking and suffocation prevention,
drowning prevention and watery safety, and home fall/burn
prevention interventions. The prevention strategies for choking
and suffocation involve making sure your child's crib is empty,
removing all pillows, toys, soft bedding, and placing the infant
on their back in the crib. Remove any toys or objects that pose a
choking hazard, cut food into small pieces, and avoid hard to
chew or swallow foods (ex: grapes, raw carrots, etc.). The
prevention strategies for drowning and water safety include
placing childproof gates around swimming pools, never leaving
a baby unattended in a bathtub, and checking the water
temperature. The prevention strategies for home fall/burn

6. prevention include installing childproof gates around all stairs
and installing working smoke detectors. Also, electric outlets
not in use should have a child safety cover inserted, and all
child safety belts should be utilized when available. Childproof
caps and cabinet locks should be placed on all medications and
household poisons to prevent unintentional poisoning events.
References
Krol, K. M., & Grossmann, T. (2018). Psychological effects of
breastfeeding on children and mothers. National Library of
Medicine, 61(8), 977–985.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00103-018-2769-0
Sleet D. A. (2018). The global challenge of child injury
prevention. International Journal of Environmental Research
and Public Health, 15(9), 1921.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091921