Why It Matters If Obstetricians Integrated the Findings of Prenatal Sciences Into Their Practice?

Integrating prenatal sciences into obstetrics practice can provide a range of benefits for obstetricians. Here are some examples:

1. Improved prenatal care: Obstetricians who integrate prenatal sciences into their practice can provide more comprehensive and tailored care to expectant parents. They can use knowledge of prenatal risk factors and protective factors to develop personalized care plans that address the unique needs of each mother and baby.
2. Increased understanding of the impact of prenatal experiences: Obstetricians who integrate prenatal sciences into their practice can gain a deeper understanding of how prenatal experiences can affect fetal development and overall health. This can inform their approach to prenatal care, including prenatal testing, monitoring, and treatment.
3. Better identification and management of prenatal risk factors: Obstetricians who integrate prenatal sciences into their practice can identify and manage prenatal risk factors more effectively. They can work with expectant mothers to address issues related to prenatal substance use, mental health, and other factors that can affect fetal development and pregnancy outcomes.
4. Enhanced collaboration with other healthcare professionals: They can collaborate more effectively with other healthcare professionals who are involved in prenatal care. This can lead to more coordinated care for expectant mothers, fathers and babies and can help to address complex medical and psychosocial issues that may arise during pregnancy.
5. Improved outcomes for mothers and babies: By integrating prenatal sciences into their practice, obstetricians can provide more effective care to expectant mothers and babies. This can lead to improved pregnancy outcomes, reduced risk of complications, and improved health and well-being for both parents and babies.

Overall, integrating prenatal sciences into obstetrics practice can provide obstetricians with a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that impact fetal development and pregnancy outcomes. This can inform their approach to prenatal care and lead to more effective interventions, better outcomes, and improved quality of life for expectant mothers and babies.

Their practice will be different:

Integrating prenatal sciences into obstetrics practice may result in changes to the way obstetricians approach their work. Here are some examples of how their practice may be different:

• More personalized care: Obstetricians who integrate prenatal sciences into their practice may provide more personalized care to expectant mothers. They may use knowledge of prenatal risk factors and protective factors to develop care plans that address the unique needs of each mother and baby. 
• Increased emphasis on maternal mental health: Obstetricians who integrate prenatal psychology into their practice may screen for anxiety, depression, and stress during pregnancy and refer patients to mental health professionals for treatment as needed. This approach can help to identify and address maternal mental health concerns that may affect both the mother and the developing fetus (Dunkel Schetter & Tanner, 2012).
• Greater emphasis on early interventions: Obstetricians who integrate prenatal sciences into their practice may focus on early interventions to address issues that can affect fetal development and pregnancy outcomes. They may screen for prenatal risk factors early in pregnancy and provide targeted respectful interventions to prevent or minimize harm to the developing baby. This may include referrals to parenting support programs or social services for families who are experiencing stress or adversity (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2010; Shonkoff & Garner, 2012).
• Increased focus on the psychosocial aspects of pregnancy: Obstetricians who integrate prenatal sciences into their practice may be more attuned to the psychosocial aspects of pregnancy. They may work to address issues such as prenatal substance use, mental health, and social support to promote a healthy pregnancy.
• Greater collaboration with other healthcare professionals: Obstetricians who integrate prenatal sciences into their practice may collaborate more closely with other healthcare professionals who are involved in prenatal care, such as social workers and mental health professionals. This can lead to more coordinated care for expectant mothers/ fathers and babies and can help to address complex medical and psychosocial issues that may arise during pregnancy.
• Increased emphasis on client education: Obstetricians who integrate prenatal sciences into their practice may place a greater emphasis on education. They may provide expectant mothers/ fathers/ families with information about prenatal risk factors, healthy behaviors during pregnancy, and the impact of prenatal experiences on fetal development (Zeanah & Egger, 2014). 
• Introduce Primordial Health Advancement Programs to work with the prenate and the external environment (parents/ society)
• Include prenatal/ perinatal bonding and attachment between the parent and the prenate or newborn.
• Introduce changes in the maternity spaces to provide better services.
• Include the prenate in their conversations when they meet the parent.
• Adopt behaviors that respect the prenate or being born baby as well.
• Welcome fathers in the birth space.

Overall, integrating prenatal sciences into obstetrics practice can result in a more comprehensive and personalized approach to prenatal care. Obstetricians may focus on early interventions and collaborate more closely with other healthcare professionals to address the complex medical and psychosocial issues that can arise during pregnancy. Ultimately, this can lead to better outcomes for expectant mothers and babies.

And what will happen if obstetricians understand that the prenate is a sentient being right from the beginning?

If obstetricians understand that the prenate is a sentient being right from the beginning, it may impact the way they approach their work in several ways. Here are some examples:

1. Increased emphasis on the ethical dimensions of prenatal care: Obstetricians who understand that the prenate is a sentient being may place a greater emphasis on the ethical dimensions of prenatal care. They may consider the rights and interests of the prenate when making decisions about prenatal testing, interventions, and treatments.
2. Greater consideration of the psychosocial aspects of pregnancy: Obstetricians who understand that the prenate is a sentient being may be more attuned to the psychosocial aspects of pregnancy. They may work to address issues such as maternal stress and anxiety that can affect the developing prenate.
3. Enhanced emphasis on informed consent: Obstetricians who understand that the prenate is a sentient being may place a greater emphasis on informed consent. They may work to ensure that expectant mothers understand the potential risks and benefits of prenatal testing, interventions, and treatments, and that they have the information they need to make informed decisions.
4. Increased focus on the no harm practices and polices: Obstetricians who understand that the prenate is a sentient being may focus more on choices of no harm during prenatal care. They may work to identify and address prenatal risk factors early in pregnancy and provide targeted respectful interventions to prevent or minimize harm to the developing prenate.
5. Greater consideration of the impact of prenatal experiences: Obstetricians who understand that the prenate is a sentient being may be more attuned to the impact of prenatal experiences on fetal development. They may work to address issues such as prenatal substance use and maternal mental health to promote the healthy development of the prenate.

Overall, if obstetricians understand that the prenate is a sentient being right from the beginning, it may lead to a more comprehensive and personalized approach to prenatal care. Obstetricians may place a greater emphasis on the ethical dimensions of prenatal care, work to prevent harm, and collaborate more closely with expectant mothers to promote the healthy development of the prenate. Ultimately, this can lead to better outcomes for both mothers and babies.

It Matters if Obstetricians Integrate the findings of Prenatal Sciences in their Practice:

According to the World Health Organization, over 300,000 women die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, and many of these deaths are preventable with the right interventions and care. The WHO has developed guidelines for antenatal care that emphasize the importance of providing a positive pregnancy experience for women and families, which includes addressing mental health and psychosocial issues during pregnancy (World Health Organization, 2016).

SELECTED REFERENCES

1. Arck, P. C., & Roesner, S. (2021). The maternal immune response and its impact on fetal development. Frontiers in Immunology, 12, 764333. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.764333
2. Bock, S. A. (2013). From conception to birth: How bodies speak and babies are made. Journal of Medical Humanities, 34(3), 271-288. doi: 10.1007/s10912-012-9214-1
3. DeBoer, T., & Green, M. (2015). Integrating obstetrics and pediatrics to improve maternal and child health: Examining the potential of telemedicine. Health Affairs, 34(2), 275-282. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0372
4. Dunkel Schetter, C., & Tanner, L. (2012). Anxiety, depression and stress in pregnancy: implications for mothers, children, research, and practice. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 25(2), 141-148. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0b013e3283503680
5. National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2010). The foundations of lifelong health are built in early childhood. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/the-foundations-of-lifelong-health-are-built-in-early-childhood/
6. Shonkoff, J. P., & Garner, A. S. (2012). The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity and toxic stress. Pediatrics, 129(1), e232-e246. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-2663
7. Zeanah, C. H., & Egger, H. L. (2014). Handbook of infant mental health. Guilford Press.

To see the “The Foundations of Lifelong Health Are Built in Early Childhood” click here: Foundations-of-Lifelong-Health
To see the “WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience” click here: WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience