title: The preconceptional period as an opportunity for prediction and prevention of noncommunicable disease.
abstract: Preconceptional care is a set of interventions, aimed to identify and modify medical, behavioral, and social risks to a woman's health and her pregnancy outcome, prior to conception. Diagnosing and treating some of the common noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) may have an impact on pregnancy outcome. Ample time should be allowed to properly intervene in some of the following situations: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroid disease, anemia, epilepsy, asthma, and cardiac disease. Diabetes mellitus and obesity are common NCDs, with proven efficacy for preconceptional care, for both maternal and perinatal outcome. These primary components of the metabolic syndrome, if properly treated prior to pregnancy, will prevent long-term hazards for the mother, her children, and the next generations, by providing in utero primary prevention of NCDs.
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petach-Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. Electronic address: dolgaldor@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hadar
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petach-Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Eran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ashwal
authors.affiliation: Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Petach-Tikva, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hod
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016742:Preconception Care / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: diabetes; non-communicable disease; obesity; preconceptional care