What is it about ?
The preconception consultation is intended for all women who plan to have a child. It aims to detect the risks before pregnancy, to provide women with all the necessary information, to guide them, if necessary, to carry out some additional examinations and thus to improve the outcome of the pregnancy. The consultation is planned at the woman’s request or at the initiative of a doctor, for example following a routine gynecological examination or when diagnosing a condition that could influence a possible pregnancy.
What are the risks identified during this consultation?
The doctor will speak at length with the woman in order to draw up a complete picture of the risks that she or her unborn baby could run in the event of pregnancy. Her questions relate to the woman’s medical history and her risk factors:
personal history :
- asthma
- diabetes
- epilepsy
- hypertension
- thyroid problems
- heart abnormalities
- clot in a vein (deep vein thrombosis)
- kidney disease
- Cancer
- psychiatric conditions
risk factors :
- existing sexually transmitted infections or risky sexual behavior
- history of blood transfusion or transplant
- diet
- consumption of alcohol, tobacco, drugs
- presence of risks in the workplace (chemicals, radiation, etc.)
- frequentation of solarium or sauna
- taking medication
What advice is given during the consultation?
The doctor or midwife will always advise the woman tostop smoking and consuming alcohol.
If pregnancy is desired in the near future, he will prescribe a supplement folic acid (0.4 or 4 mg), to be taken one month before the first attempt at conception until the 12e week of pregnancy. Folic acid has been shown to reduce the occurrence of certain neurological abnormalities, including malformations of the spine (spina bifida).
The doctor or midwife will also measure the blood levels of antibodies against the rubella and the toxoplasmosis. If there are too few antibodies to rubella, he will offer to administer the vaccine. MMR (against measles, rubella and mumps) to women. If the woman does not have antibodies against toxoplasmosis, he will inform her about the necessary hygiene measures, mainly with regard to food and contact with animals.
Want to know more?
- Pregnancy: before, during – mongeneraliste.be – SSMG – Scientific Society of General Medicine
- Desire for pregnancy: do not neglect folic acid – mongeneraliste.be – SSMG – Scientific Society of General Medicine
- Pre-conception visit – ONE – Office of Birth and Childhood
- Pre-conception visit (video) – Air of families – ONE – Office of Birth and Childhood
- Stop smoking. It’s possible – Tabacstop – Foundation against cancer
Source
Belgian clinical practice guide ‘Preconception consultation’ (2008) – Domus Medica