Perinatale gezondheid in Rotterdam

The primary goal of the Rotterdam-based health programme ‘Ready for a baby’ is an improvement in perinatal results via improved, risk-directed care shared across disciplines. After 2 years we conclude that many women who are or who will become pregnant lack knowledge about perinatal risk factors.

They are, however, positive about preconception care. High-risk groups can best be accessed via group-based education; results of individual preconceptual care consultations are still limited. We developed and tested a new risk-screening instrument to screen pregnant women during the first antenatal consultation. We directed more attention to non-medical risks, which are often poverty-related. The experiences from our Rotterdam-based programme provide the incentive to experiment with programme-based preconception care, new risk selection during pregnancy and accessing high-risk groups in other communities in the Netherlands.

Conflict of interest: none declared. Financial support: the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, subdivision Midwifery and Prenatal Medicine at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam received subsidies from the Rotterdam City Council.