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Efforts to improve public health must come from many directions says RCM on new Lancet Series

By RCM on 16 April 2018 Pre-Conception Care Public Health

Today The Lancet has published a New Series that calls for greater awareness of preconception health and improved guidance, with greater focus on diet and nutrition. It says that parents’ diets and health can have profound implications for the growth, development, and long-term health of their children before their conception.

Commenting on the Series, Clare Livingstone, Professional Policy Advisor at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said: “The RCM has long stressed the importance of good health for those planning to have a baby, which will of course have knock-on effects on the general health of our population. We have also argued about the need for increased education in schools about health, including the need to be healthy before becoming pregnant. As this Lancet series stresses, healthier parents lead to healthier children, with those health benefits lasting into adulthood. 

“Efforts must come from many directions including support to reduce smoking levels and alcohol consumption, particularly before and during pregnancy, along with support for people to improve their lifestyle, to eat more healthily and do more exercise. However, some Government actions are working against health improvements such as cuts to stopping smoking services, and we need to see more, not less investment in services such as these.

“Other things can also be done to improve the health of babies including mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid on a UK-wide basis. This would prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida and lead to long-lasting improvements in the health of our population.

“If these changes can be made it will improve the health of our whole population and in the longer term also reduce demand on the NHS. There is a need to invest in public health now which will pay dividends long into the future.”

To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email media@rcm.org.uk. 

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