Abstract
Preconception health recognizes that the health and well-being of a woman is foundational to her life course as well as to that of any children she may have. Growing evidence is expanding this understanding to include the role that men’s health plays in birth outcomes as well. For many people, becoming a parent is an important life goal. Preconception health science and programs create an important opportunity for couples to maximize the likelihood that they can realize this dream and that their child will be healthy. Seen as an intergenerational benefit, the content of preconception health is comprehensive, the messaging can be difficult, and some of the needed interventions are complex. However, opportunities with a potential two-generation benefit deserve attention from health-care providers, public health advocates, community leaders, funders, researchers, families, and local and national governments and policy-makers.
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Verbiest, S. (2020). Preconception Health: An Overview. In: Shawe, J., Steegers, E., Verbiest, S. (eds) Preconception Health and Care: A Life Course Approach. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31753-9_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31753-9_2
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