Abstract
Challenges remain with the implementation of preconception care, as many women do
not plan their pregnancies and clinicians do not initiate preconception consultations.
However, the interconception period may present a more opportune time to address health
issues that impact on pregnancy outcomes and may influence future conceptions. It
is also an important time to focus on pregnancy complications that may influence a
person's health trajectory. This review discusses the evidence pointing to a need
for greater attention on interconception health and focuses on five areas of care
that may be particularly important in affecting equitable access to good care before
a subsequent pregnancy: interpregnancy intervals, contraception, weight, nutrition,
and gestational diabetes follow-up. Several programs internationally have developed
models of care for interconception health and this review presents one such model
developed in the United States that explicitly seeks to reach vulnerable populations
of women who may otherwise not receive preconception care.
Keywords
preconception care - postnatal care - reproductive health - pregnancy outcomes
