BACKGROUND Preconception care may be an efficacious tool to reduce risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes that are associated with lifestyles and health status before pregnancy. We conducted a web-based cohort study in Italian women planning a pregnancy to assess whether a tailored web intervention may change knowledge and behaviours associated with risks for adverse pregnancy outcomes. ...

Many vaccine-preventable diseases have serious consequences for the pregnant mother, the fetus, and the neonate. This article reviews the rationale and impact of including vaccinations as part of preconception care and provides recommendations for clinical care. Vaccinations that are recommended highly in preconception care include the hepatitis B and the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines. T...

Women of child-bearing age should achieve and maintain good nutritional status prior to conception to help minimize health risks to both mothers and infants. Many women may not be aware of the importance of preconception nutrition and supplementation or have access to nutrition information. Health care providers should be knowledgeable about preconception/pregnancy-related nutrition and take th...

background: with regard to the importance of preconception conditions in maternal health and fertility, preconception risk assessment makes treatment trends and pregnancy outcome more successful among infertile couples. this study has tried to investigate preconception risk assessment in infertile couples. materials and methods: this is a descriptive analytical survey conducted on 268 subjects,...

Background Infertility is a significant public health problem and diagnosis and treatment are tense, invasive, and costly. Preconception interventions in infertile couples can increase the chance of pregnancy and lower its complications. The main goal to do this study is determine effect of the preconception diet and life style on fertility success in women undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment. Materi...

This special supplement of Women's Health Issues offers 2 types of articles related to the policy and finance context for improving preconception health and health care. These articles discuss the impact of finance and policy on preconception health and health care, as well as the strategies that are being used to overcome the challenge of implementing preconception care with limited resources ...

OBJECTIVE To emphasize preconception care of women with type 1 diabetes and the role of primary care physicians in evaluating and counseling them. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE Substantial level II evidence indicates that tight glycemic control before conception and early in pregnancy reduces the rate of congenital malformations. Most evidence concerning maternal and fetal risks during pregnancy in pat...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this situation analysis was to explore the views of health and non-health professionals working with women of childbearing age on current and future delivery of preconception care in one National Health Service (NHS) Board area in Scotland. METHODS The situation analysis was undertaken using a mixed methods approach. Six focus groups were conducted organised by profe...

OBJECTIVE Assessment of anxiety levels in women and men before and after preconception counseling and during the first trimester of pregnancy. METHODS Couples were recruited from the fertility clinic of the University Medical Center Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Anxiety was assessed using the 40-item Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS 53 women and 51 men (74%) completed ...

The preconception window has been recognized as one of the earliest sensitive windows of human development, and interventions that focus on this period have the potential to affect not only pregnancy but long term outcomes as well. The journal Reproductive Health has published a supplement entitled 'Preconception Interventions' which includes a series of systematic reviews regarding the impact ...