# Preconception care

Care topic · id `maternal:preconception-care` · Maternal & Newborn Atlas · release `c7fb95f1d15a7d13` (public)

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Browse, life stage: Preconception  
Browse, care area: Before pregnancy  

## In plain language

Preconception care means seeing a health care provider while planning a pregnancy, before it begins. A health care provider can help find and manage problems that could affect a later pregnancy, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, and can talk about folic acid, vaccines, smoking, alcohol and reaching a healthy weight. MedlinePlus says that by acting on health issues before pregnancy, you can prevent many future problems for yourself and your baby.

## Technical summary

Scope follows the MedlinePlus health topic page (last updated July 18, 2024) and the NIH page on pre-pregnancy and prenatal care, which shows a last reviewed date of 1/31/2017 and may be out of date. This page is the entry point to folic acid supplementation and to blood pressure review before a pregnancy. It makes no recommendation of its own; claims on the linked pages carry their own populations and sources.

## Connected pages

- MedlinePlus health information on this subject: MedlinePlus (`core:medlineplus`)
- Filed under this front: Care programmes and follow-up (`maternal:front-care-programmes-and-follow-up`)
- Blood pressure review before pregnancy (existing record): Chronic hypertension in pregnancy (`maternal:chronic-hypertension-in-pregnancy`)
- Recommended for this: Folic acid supplementation before and in early pregnancy (`maternal:folic-acid-supplementation`) [a claim, not a settled fact; see claim `maternal:claim-uspstf-2023-folic-acid` and its context]
- Related to: Reading path: planning a pregnancy (`maternal:reading-path-planning-a-pregnancy`)
- Related to: Alcohol exposure in pregnancy (fetus) (`maternal:prenatal-alcohol-exposure`)

## Provenance

Content hash: 4fef9654333df982aef2d9ea023d23d5ab1f7c3131fc5dc7e5283ce96431aca8
Last substantive edit: 2026-10-14
Evidence last checked: 2026-10-14