Pre-conception care: an important yet underutilised preventive care strategy

Parental health prior to conception is increasingly recognised as being important for the health of future generations

Pre-conception care is the provision of health recommendations to women of reproductive age with the goal of improving short and long term health outcomes for both the mothers and their children. It includes an assessment of medical conditions, vaccination status, and lifestyle factors.1 While pre-conception care will benefit any woman contemplating pregnancy, it is particularly important for women with medical conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Nevertheless, it is often underutilised.2 In this article, we describe strategies for overcoming challenges to providing pre-conception care and provide guidance for time-poor clinicians.