Southampton researchers make a case for preconception care

University of Southampton researchers have urged the government Department for Health and Social Care to consider preconception care when improving maternity services and support for women.

Preconception care was principal focus of the recent Maternity Disparities Taskforce meeting, at which Professor Keith Godfrey shared the vision of the UK Preconception Partnership, which he co-chairs.

Professor Godfrey set out the rationale for preconception care to reduce maternity disparities, alongside presenting previously published research on these disparities.

He said: “The time before pregnancy represents a special opportunity to break the transgenerational transmission of behavioural and physiological risks such as poor-quality diets, physical inactivity, obesity and smoking that underlie ill-health.

“Supporting and enabling all potential parents to optimise their preconception health will improve outcomes for mother, for her pregnancy and for her offspring. The Maternity Disparities Taskforce is playing a critical role in ensuring that real change can be made, and the UK Preconception Partnership is committed to supporting this mission.”

Established in 2018, the Preconception Partnership aims to improve preconception care in England by translating the evidence presented in a Lancet Series into clinical practice and normalising the notion of preparing for a healthy pregnancy.

The Maternity Disparities Taskforce was set up to tackle disparities for mothers and babies and reduce maternal and neonatal deaths through improving access to care before, during and after pregnancy for women from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.

The meeting considered pre-pregnancy care and developing guidance to support Black women and women in deprived areas with healthcare before pregnancy begins, to give women and their babies the best possible start for life.

Minister for Women’s Health Strategy Maria Caulfield said: “Regardless of race or background, everyone should receive the highest quality maternity care.

“All stages of a woman’s life, from before she is pregnant to after delivery, are crucial to the health and wellbeing of both mother and baby.

“Today we met with mothers and healthcare experts to ensure women from ethnic minorities and those from deprived areas have access the right care and support for their journey into parenthood – and are listened to throughout this experience.

“We are considering the outcomes of the taskforce, and I will be monitoring progress closely to ensure real change can be made.”