Preconception care – what GPs need to know to optimise pregnancy outcomes

In this episode, we talk to Nishadi Withanage, a doctoral student in the Department of General Practice at Monash University in Australia. Title of paper: Effectiveness of preconception interventions in primary care: a systematic reviewAvailable at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2022.0040Preconception care (PCC) delivered in community and hospital settings are effective in improving pregnancy outcomes and health knowledge, and reducing preconception risk factors; however, the effectiveness of primary care-based PCC has been unclear. This systematic review demonstrates that primary care-based PCC including brief and intensive education, supplementary medication, and dietary modification are effective in improving health knowledge and reducing preconception risk factors among females, even when delivered by trained non-healthcare professionals. Non-healthcare professionals could help improve access to PCC in systems that are already struggling to provide care. As there is a limited number of studies reporting on pregnancy outcomes, further research is required to determine whether primary care-based PCC can improve pregnancy outcomes.