Local Health Departments and Preconception Care

Local Health Departments and Preconception Care

Local health departments (LHDs) ensure the delivery of preconception care services to promote the health and well-being of women and infants. Where services are not directly provided, LHDs work through a system of collaboration and referrals to other community healthcare providers to deliver the services.

Although these services are regularly delivered by LHDs and/or community providers, the terminology (i.e., preconception care) may not be used or understood by practitioners at the local level.

Through the Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Project, NACCHO will:

• Promote and educate members on the concept of preconception care; and
• Research best practices in health education to determine the best way to distribute information regarding preconception care.

This web site will provide the latest in information, research, and policy related to Preconception Care.

MCH Journal Supplement on Preconception Care

More information, including full-text research articles on preconception care is available from the September 2006 Supplement to the Maternal and Child Health Journal, Preconception Care: Science, Practice, Challenges and Opportunities.

This brief defines the public health problem, provides background for the national preconception care initiative, and outlines next steps in promoting this effort.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the March of Dimes in collaboration with other national organizations sponsored the National Summit on Preconception Care in Atlanta, GA on June 21-22, 2005. To access archived presentations please visit http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/682_16320.asp

NACCHO-ASTHO Issue Brief: Preconception Care Efforts at the State and Local Level