Researchers have identified comprehensive indicators to create the first global system for tracking health before pregnancy.
Researchers have uncovered a new system as first global framework to monitor pre-pregnancy health. The new system identifies key indicators of:
- mental health
- physical health
- social health
These metrics track overall well-being before conception.
Beyond traditional models, these essential metrics provide a holistic approach to reproductive health, involving both men and women. The worldwide framework aims to reduce pregnancy complications and improve long-term outcomes for families.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Measuring progress in pregnancy planning and preconception health
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The system was developed by researchers from University College London (UCL) and the University of Southampton, and the study was published in The Lancet. As rates of obesity, diabetes, and mental illness are increasing, standardized preconception care is essential for safer childbirth.
Why are Mental Health and Finances Important in Preconception Care?
The researchers had previously looked at relevant health indicators already monitored in England, such as smoking rates and the use of folic acid supplements before pregnancy to reduce birth defects, producing a report on the state of the nation’s preconception health which was published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in England in 2022.
In their new research, they asked more than 5,000 people from 13 countries, including Australia, Brazil and Ghana, what factors would matter most to them before a pregnancy.
They found that answers to their surveys were remarkably consistent across country and gender, with mental health, physical health, supportive relationships and finances prioritised. These are therefore important factors that monitoring systems should reflect, they say.
How Will the World Health Organization Implement Pre-Pregnancy Monitoring?
At an international workshop in Geneva this November, Professor Judith Stephenson and Dr. Danielle Schoenaker will collaborate with researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the public to finalize the list of indicators. They will then call on the World Health Organisation, the NHS and other agencies responsible for national health surveillance to incorporate the indicators, where possible, into existing infrastructures to enable monitoring of health before pregnancy globally.
Senior author Professor Judith Stephenson (UCL EGA Institute for Women’s Health) said: “This is an ongoing process to prioritise a set of internationally agreed core indicators for monitoring health before pregnancy.
“Our research found over 120 relevant indicators, far too many to include in a routine surveillance system, but through a rigorous collaborative process we have whittled that number down to around 40.
“Indicators relating to conception tend to be from a health professionals’ perspective – we have, for the first time, produced a set of agreed metrics which reflect the views of the general public. Together, these indicators will give us a more holistic view of health before people try to get pregnant.
Preconception Metrics Could Help Governments Evaluate Health Policies
“A strong international collaboration is now needed to achieve consensus on which core indicators can be compared across low-, middle- and high-income countries.”
Lead author Dr. Danielle Schoenaker, from the University of Southampton and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, said: “There is growing evidence that supporting people to optimise health before and between pregnancies can improve pregnancy and birth outcomes and also reduce intergenerational inequalities and chronic disease risk.
“But without the right monitoring systems, governments and health services cannot easily see whether their policies and programmes are working.
“The right set of metrics could also steer future investment in care and support before pregnancy and parenthood, with a view to reducing health inequalities and improving health for future families.”
Reference:
- Measuring progress in pregnancy planning and preconception health – (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00192-3/abstract)
Source-Eurekalert