Experts urge greater focus on pre-conception care to enhance maternal and neonatal health

New Delhi: The George Institute for Global Health, in collaboration with DIWAS, hosted a key workshop in Chennai to spotlight the often-overlooked importance of Pre-Conception Care (PCC) in improving maternal and neonatal health in India. The event emphasized that addressing preconception health is essential for reducing the risks of preterm births, low birth weight, and various maternal and neonatal complications.

Professor Jane Hirst, Program Director of Women’s Health at The George Institute for Global Health, stressed, “Preconception care is pivotal in promoting maternal health and ensuring optimal pregnancy outcomes. By managing chronic diseases, optimizing maternal nutritional status, and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, healthcare providers can significantly mitigate adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.”

Dr. Usha Sriram, founder of DIWAS and Head of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Voluntary Health Services in Chennai, emphasized, “Providing women of reproductive age, their partners, the community and their healthcare providers with the knowledge, tools and skills necessary to make decisions regarding timing, preparedness and interventions critical for healthy pregnancy outcomes and ensuring long-term good health of mothers and their children is our objective”.

Despite these benefits, preconception care is underutilized in many parts of India and South Asia. Often, women lack the opportunity to plan their pregnancies, with decisions frequently influenced by familial pressures rather than personal choice. They only seek healthcare services after experiencing difficulties conceiving. This delay means that by the time they attend their first antenatal visit, crucial stages of fetal development have already passed, missing opportunities for early interventions that could prevent birth defects and other adverse outcomes.

The workshop also discussed integrating preconception care into the Reproductive and Child Health and Adolescent program (RMNCH+A), which aims to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by 2030. While the program focuses on antepartum, intranatal, and postnatal care, incorporating preconception care could further enhance outcomes by managing pre-existing conditions, identifying risk factors, and promoting preventive measures. Quality preconception care also optimizes maternal nutrition, manages chronic diseases, and encourages healthy behaviors. Given the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases in India, many women enter pregnancy with high metabolic risks, making effective preconception care crucial for managing these risks before pregnancy.

Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, Scientist G and Head of the Division of Reproductive and Child Health and Nutrition at ICMR, contributed significantly to the discussions. The workshop included contributions from global experts such as Dr. Danielle Schoenaker from the University of Southampton, Dr. Vani Sethi from UNICEF, Dr. Chittaranjan Yajnik from KEM Hospital Pune, Dr. Monika Arora from the NCD Alliance, and Dr. Hema Divakar from FIGO.

The workshop underscored the urgent need to incorporate preconception care into India’s broader maternal and neonatal health framework. The recommendations from the event will be compiled into a policy paper and presented to the public health system and the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of India to develop a comprehensive preconception care policy. Future sessions will engage community members and healthcare workers to address the acceptability, challenges, and facilitators of preconception care services.