Preconception Care: An Urgent Need

Abstract

Preconception care is an integral part of antenatal care, because this care program has potential to assist women by reducing risk, promoting healthy lifestyle, and improving readiness for pregnancy. Factors that could potentially affect perinatal outcome are identified and the women are advised about the risk involved. Preconception care is defined as a set of interventions that aim to identify and modify biomedical, behavioral, and social risks to a woman’s health. To have better pregnancy outcome, through prevention and management, emphasizing those factors that must be acted on before conception. It is designed for health maintenance before pregnancy. Preconception care is important for woman who has had a problem with a previous pregnancy. It is also important to minimize fetal malformation.