Delivery Mechanisms for Preconception Care: Experiences from Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Preconception care (PCC) can be defined as a” full range of effective interventions, focused primarily on the health of women of reproductive age, and their partners, prior to or between pregnancies that promote the opportunity for safe motherhood and the birth of a healthy infant with the expectation of healthy longevity”. The central to this concept is the continuum of care that refers to the continuity of individual care and is necessary throughout the lifecycle (adolescent, preconception, pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal). Most of the risk factors during pregnancy that lead to poor outcomes could be screened and treated through PCC such as diabetes, heart disease, anemia; rubella, hepatitis B, STIs, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and substance abuse. Studies conducted in high income countries suggest that PCC programmes are effective and result in cost savings. Although delivering these services require high resources, the costs are nullified by the averted complications.

There is good evidence of implementing PCC initiatives in middle- and high-income countries. However, the evidence on how to deliver PCC has been weak particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Among some of these countries, many of the PCC interventions are currently available to adolescents and women, as well as to couples however, they are not systematically delivered as a defined service package for PCC. Moreover, the feasibility of delivering these interventions through existing public health programmes need to be established and documented.
The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together a compendium of original research and evidence syntheses that: 1) describe interventions in PCC; and 2) assess feasibility, acceptability, and costs of delivery approaches for such interventions within the reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) and related programmes in low- and middle-income countries.

We welcome the submission of manuscripts on studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries including but not restricted to the following topics:

• Methodologies to characterize and improve current preconception care system.
• Assessment of feasibility, acceptability, coverage, and cost of preconception care delivery
strategies including:
– health facilities at various levels;
– community-based and family-based outreach;
– multisectoral approaches – school/college, social media, peers, etc.;
– school-based services; and
– electronic and mobile technology (mHealth).

Contributions that propose innovative solutions or that detail the challenges in implementing PCC effectively are important for advancing access and quality of care. By addressing these key issues, we aim to foster systemic changes that improve maternal and infant health outcomes across low- and middle-income countries.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Delivery mechanisms, Health system, Preconception care, LMIC

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.