CDC Releases National Recommendations to Improve Health of Babies and Moms

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with more than 35 federal, public and private partners, today released national recommendations designed to encourage women to take steps toward good health before becoming pregnant. The recommendations for preconception care were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Recommendations and Reports.

The recommendations on preconception health and health care identify more than a dozen risk factors and conditions that require interventions before pregnancy to be effective. Among developed nations, the United States is ranked 26th in infant mortality. If implemented, the recommendations can help improve the health of babies and moms.

Some topics:

• Folic acid supplements to prevent neural tube defects
• Detecting and treating existing health conditions
• Reviewing medications that can affect the fetus or the mother
• Reviewing a woman's pregnancy history
• Stopping smoking to reduce the risk of low birth weight
• Eliminating alcohol consumption to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome
• Family planning counseling to avoid unplanned pregnancies
• Counseling to promote healthy behaviors such as appropriate weight, nutrition, exercise and oral health.

The recommendations are the result of two-years of collaborative efforts with a number of partner groups including American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, National March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, CityMatCH (Urban Maternal and Child Health Leadership), Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, American College of Nurse Midwives, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and American Academy of Family Physicians.

The full recommendations on preconception care are available at www.cdc.gov/mmwr and for more information on preconception care go to www.cdc.gov/ncbddd