Preconceptional wellness as a routine objective for women's health care: an integrative strategy

Preconceptional health promotion should not be approached as an isolated activity. Instead, a new approach to women's wellness is needed. Rather than targeting care to women based on their pregnancy status or desires, health promotion and disease prevention should be integrated into a continuum of care throughout the life cycle. When care for women is viewed as an integrated continuum approach to health, rather than as a series of episodic events, higher levels of women's wellness will be achieved. This approach is likely to result in healthier women, pregnancies, and offspring. These outcomes are consistent with the goals of preconceptional health promotion. Using several case illustrations, this article highlights the benefits of integrating care into a continuum model.