Born too soon: care before and between pregnancy to prevent preterm births: from evidence to action.

ABSTRACT: Providing care to adolescent girls and women before and between pregnancies improves their own health and wellbeing, as well as pregnancy and newborn outcomes, and can also reduce the rates of preterm birth. This paper has reviewed the evidence-based interventions and services for preventing preterm births, reported the findings from research priority exercise, and prescribed actions for taking this call further. Certain factors in the preconception period have been shown to increase the risk for prematurity and, therefore, preconception care services for all women of reproductive age should address these risk factors through preventing adolescent pregnancy, preventing unintended pregnancies, promoting optimal birth spacing, optimizing pre-pregnancy weight and nutritional status (including

SUBMITTER: Dean SV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3828587 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature