Pre-conception care
Abstract
S60 Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (1985) 5 (Suppl. 2) S6GS63 Printedin Great Britain Pre-conception care Faith Haddad Charing Cross Hospital, London UNTIL recently there have been few places in this country where you could go for detailed preconception counselling. One of the first preconception clinics was established in Edinburgh in 1976 to help insulin dependent diabetics who are more likely to have babies with congenital abnormalities than the normal population. In 1978 Professor Chamberlain established a preconception clinic at Queen Charlotteâs Hospital. These clinics have been mainly concerned with the medical and obstetric problems related to pregnancy (Chamberlain et al., 1978). More recently, in the private sector, a need has been shown for a broader approach to pre-conception care involving an assessment of lifestyle as well as specific problems. A clinic was established at the West London Hospital because of the interest shown by some members of staff. Pre-conception care may be visualised as a bridge between the contraceptive clinic and the first antenatal booking appointment. It is a time when women want to do something constructive towards preparing for a major life event, when bad habits such as smoking and drinking can be changed and when