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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · AJP Rep 2022; 12(01): e49-e57
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1742272
Original Article

Preconception Counseling: Identifying Ways to Improve Services

Khyla Burrows
1   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
,
Jeanelle Sheeder
2   Division of Family Planning, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
,
Virginia Lijewski
3   Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
,
Teresa Harper
3   Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
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Abstract

Objective The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the maternal conditions for which preconception services are provided and the routine services and recommendations offered through the Maternal Fetal Medicine group at the University of Colorado (CU). The study sought to determine how services and recommendations differ by maternal condition, demographics, and reproductive health history.

Materials and Methods Charts of patients who received preconception counseling through the CU MFM department during 2018 were reviewed to evaluate maternal conditions and the type of counseling patients received. Patients were grouped by their referral reason and subsequently by counseling recommendations to either proceed with immediate conception, defer immediate conception pending completion of further recommendations or to not conceive.

Results Of the fifty-nine patients referred to preconception counseling, 52% (n = 31) of the women were referred for maternal disease, 40% (n = 24) for infertility, 32% (n = 19) for previous poor obstetric outcomes, 30% (n = 18) for advanced maternal age and finally, 15% (n = 9) for gynecologic anatomic abnormalities.

Conclusion During the initial evaluation, 58% (n = 34) of patients were determined to have no concern for immediate conception while 7% (n = 4) were ultimately advised to not conceive. Using this data, we identified areas of preconception counseling that standardization will improve by ensuring patients receive comparable services and advice.

Keywords

preconception counseling - MFM - maternal-fetal medicine - conception - prenatal


Publication History

Received: 28 August 2020

Accepted: 08 October 2021

Article published online:
04 February 2022

© 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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