Preconception care

doi:10.1136/bmj.b22

Published 12 February 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b22
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b22

Editorials

Preconception care

Public health campaigns are not reaching most women

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Pregnancy has been called "a window of opportunity" for healthpromotion because it is thought to be the time when women aremost willing to give up unhealthy habits. However, we shouldbear in mind that the focus for health promotion in pregnancyis the health of the developing child. In the linked study (doi:10.1136/bmj.b481),Inskip and colleagues assess the degree to which 12 445 womenaged 20-34 years recruited to the Southampton women’ssurvey followed nutritional and lifestyle recommendations whenplanning a pregnancy.¹

Sadly, the window often opens too late to provide sufficientcare for pregnant women and offspring with special needs, orto start preconception supplementation to decrease the risksof adverse pregnancy outcomes that originate early in gestation.Daily folic acid supplements of 400 µg taken before conceptionand during organogenesis reduce the risk of a neural tube defectby 50-70%.² But the critical window . . . [Full text of this article]

Camilla Bille, visiting researcher, Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen, professor

¹ Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark

Cbille@health.sdu.dk

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Relevant Article

Women’s compliance with nutrition and lifestyle recommendations before pregnancy: general population cohort study: Hazel M Inskip, Sarah R Crozier, Keith M Godfrey, Sharon E Borland, Cyrus Cooper, Siân M Robinson for the Southampton Women’s Survey Study Group
BMJ 2009 338: b481. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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