 They can also develop a birth plan laying out how to reach care and what to do in case of an emergency.Poverty, malnutrition, and substance abuse may contribute to impaired cognitive, motor, and behavioral problems across childhood.In other words, if a mother is not in optimal health during the prenatal period (the time while she is pregnant) and/or the fetus is exposed to teratogen(s), the child is more likely to experience health or developmental difficulties, or death.