Sociale verloskunde: gelijke kansen op een gezonde start

Next to foetal growth, embryonic development during the first weeks of pregnancy is associated not only with the health of the newborn, but also with health and disease in later life. In the Netherlands, large disparities exist in perinatal health. These are not only related to medical risks but also to an accumulation of risks related to lifestyle and the social environment. The effects of poverty on perinatal health appear to be substantial. These new insights should lead to a renewal of pregnancy-related care in the form of the implementation of preconception care and ‘social obstetrics’, into which medical and social domains of care should be integrated. University Medical Centres should apply the results of research in a more proactive manner and organise such societal valorisation programmes in cooperation with local authorities.

Conflict of interest and financial support: none declared.