In the readings this week we learned about prenatal development and why prenatal care is essential to healthy development during this critical stage. In your discussion you are considering the factors that contribute to a healthy human being during this critical stage and ultimately help ensure the fetus realizes its fullest potential as a newborn infant.

Despite what we know about the importance of prenatal care, the reality is that many families do not engage in prenatal care. In this optional post, please discuss potential barriers to prenatal care for families. What factors might limit or discourage a family from access to/seeking out prenatal care? What might be some solutions to reducing these barriers?

To get you thinking about this, I would like to share with you this article from the Unicef website titled,"First 1,000 Days"While this article is focused on barriers in South Africa, I believe these principles can be applied broadly, to all families.

https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/media/551/file/ZAF-First-1000-days-brief-2017.pdf