Perinatal Programming Prevention Measures

Abstract

Over the past 10 years, there has been outstanding scientific progress related to perinatal programming and its epigenetic effects in health, and we can anticipate this trend will continue in the near future. We need to make use and apply these achievements to human neurodevelopment via prevention interventions. Based on the concept of the interaction between genome and ambiome, this chapter proposes low-cost easy-implementation preventive strategies for maternal and infant health institutions.Breastfeeding and human milk administration are the first preventive measures, as has been reviewed in the policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Another strategy is the Safe and Family-Centered Maternity Hospitals initiative that promotes and empowers the inclusion of the families and the respect for their rights, especially during pregnancy and birth. (This change of paradigm was approved and is recommended by both United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, and Pan American Health Organization, PAHO.) Then, there is also an important emphasis given to the sacred hour-which highlights the impact of bonding, attachment, and breastfeeding during the first hour of life-the pain prevention and treatment in newborns, the control of the "new morbidity" represented by late preterm infants, and finally, the importance of avoiding intrauterine and extrauterine growth restriction. (However, there are not yet clear recommendations about nutritional interventions in order to diminish the potential metabolic syndrome consequence in the adult.).

Got Milk? Breastfeeding and Milk Analysis of a Mother on Chronic Hemodialysis

“…Without any doubts early SSC is beneficial to newborns for their immediate and later life[ 25 , 26 ]. Women with chronic diseases, e.g.…”

“…This is limiting the beneficial aspects of breastfeeding and early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) for the newborn. SSC does not only have immediate effects on basic biological functions, such as blood glucose levels, but has also been recognized as an essential element of the newborn period for programming physiology and behavior in the infant[ 25 , 26 ].…”

Challenges for Behavioral Neuroscience: Prenatal, Postnatal, and Social Factors

“…The general message seems to be that through the processes of neuronal migration, organization, wiring, myelination, shaping and eliminating of excess neurons [8], even earliest information is sustained. Still, an approach of the earlier the better in several aspects of intervention has not yet been fully realized, as can be derived from the findings of epigenetics and fetal programming [58].…”

“…The issue of neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm newborns is still highly problematic and connected with new morbidity [70,[106][107][108][109][110], therefore new approaches in neonatal intensive care units have been developed and implemented [14,70]. Recent findings that, e.g., preterm delivery correlates with infant eating disorders [111] should not be surprising; other findings indicate prenatal and perinatal factors in new morbidity [58]. Today's zeitgeist has only begun to be examined: it tends to favor noncommitment [101], pointing to the connection of new morbidity with societal motion [97].…”

“…Recent findings on oxytocin and bonding add to a perspective of incorporating bodily and psychic factors; a recent study found lower depression scores in parents after giving neonatal massage [132]. It seems that people's ancient intuitive knowledge about bodily contact can be said to have been verified again and again; skin contact turned out to be highly important [58].…”