title: Where is the "W"oman in MCH?
abstract: Scientific evidence indicates that improving a woman's health before pregnancy will improve pregnancy outcomes. However, for many years, our efforts have focused primarily on prenatal care and on caring for infants after birth. The concept of preconception care has been identified repeatedly as a priority for improving maternal and infant health. Preconception care is not something new that is being added to the already overburdened healthcare provider, but it is a part of routine primary care for women of reproductive age. Many opportunities exist for preconception intervention, and much of preconception care involves merely the provider reframing his or her thinking, counseling, and decisions in light of the reproductive plans and sexual and contraceptive practices of the patient. With existing scientific evidence that improving the health of "W"omen will improve the health of mothers and children, we must focus on improving the health of "W"omen before pregnancy and put the "W" in Maternal and Child Health.
authors.affiliation: National Center on Birth defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Atrash
authors.forename: Brian W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Jack
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Dean V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Coonrod
authors.forename: Merry-K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Moos
authors.forename: Phillip G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Stubblefield
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cefalo
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Damus
authors.forename: Uma M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D016742:Preconception Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health