Non-adherence to Lifestyle changes during pregnancy

The health care provider offers the recommendations on behavior changes in the lifestyle choices of the areas of drug use, alcohol consumption, dietary habits, and the environmental exposures. However, some patients have challenges to stick to the recommended lifestyle changes during pregnancy that pose a health risk for both the mother and the child. Thus, as a care provider, it is crucial to recognize the signs of non-adherence and recommend the lifestyle changes. The success of the management plan relies on recognizing and meeting the individual needs of the patients and mitigates the non-adherence issues. The Essay provides a discussion of the implications for non-adherence to the lifestyle changes and the likely management strategies for the pregnant patients.

The health promotion topic selected for discussion is smoking and has associated early signs and symptoms to indicate non-adherence to the recommended lifestyle changes during pregnancy. It is easy to identify a pregnant woman who smokes because they are likely to have challenges in maintaining the fetus, and other cannot get pregnant. Some others have multiple miscarriages every time they get pregnant due to the effects of smoking. A sign of bleeding by the mother may be an indicator that the mother is a smoker since it causes some problems with the placenta. The placenta can separate with the womb leading to bleeding that is dangerous to the mother and the baby. Other signs are premature births in which the mother gets disturbances requiring relieve from the pregnancy before the optimum gestation period elapses. Other signs are identifiable birth defects in the progress of the pregnancy from the screening tests (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). The signs and symptoms of non-adherence are indicators of the potential risks both to the health of the mother and the patient. Smoking causes obstetric and fetal complications and also harms the childhood and adulthood of the child. As such, the health care provider ought to identify the early signs and advice the mother accordingly. Smoking during pregnancy is preventable to help in reducing the negative impacts described.

The care provider should create treatment and management strategies for the patients who present the signs and symptoms resulting from non-adherence. Interventions during pregnancy for the smoking women are a process and not an event since some do not quit smoking immediately. The treatment and management strategy starts with the care provider identifying the pregnant smokers by use of a carboxy meter. Next is to provide counseling on health effects, problem-solving and also facilitating the social support. The counseling programs can be one on one, use of videotape with risks, barriers, and tips for quitting, as well as the self-help manuals (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2010).

Also effective is the use of follow-up telephone calls during pregnancy to assess the change of behavior in smoking habits. The strategies may not effectively help the patient to have complete cessation of tobacco use. Hence, it is necessary to have pharmacotherapy. The U.S Preventive Services Task Force reports that the use of nicotine replacement products and other pharmaceuticals for smoking cessation during pregnancy many have adverse effects or fail to be affected. Thus, there ought to be careful supervision and discussion with the patient of the known risks of continued smoking and risk of nicotine replacement therapy. The use of nicotine replacement products should have a clear aim of the patient to quit smoking and not only during pregnancy.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). During pregnancy.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2010). Smoking cessation during pregnancy. Health_Care_for_Underserved_Women/Smoking_Cessation_During_Pregnancy.

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