Preconception care in primary care: supporting patients to have healthier pregnancies and babies

Primary care teams have an important role to play in supporting their patients to have healthy pregnancies and babies if and when they choose to. Improvements in the care for pregnant women in the last decades have successfully reduced maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates. However, the frequency of adverse pregnancy outcomes and the potentially life-long and intergenerational consequences for mothers and children remains unacceptably high. It is important to recognise that the main drivers of adverse pregnancy outcomes have their origins before pregnancy. For example, in the UK, 1 in 2 pregnancies are unintended, almost 3 in 4 maternal deaths are in women with pre-existing medical conditions,¹ and 1 in 5 preterm births are attributable to socioeconomic deprivation.² Nonetheless, there are important opportunities during routine interactions and appointments for primary care teams to …