Interconception Care for Mothers During Well-Child Visits With Family Physicians: An IMPLICIT Network Study

Area of Science:

• Family Medicine
• Maternal Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Interconception care (ICC) aims to improve birth outcomes by addressing maternal risk factors.
• Implementation of ICC, particularly in primary care settings, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the frequency and nature of ICC delivered during well-child visits.
• To assess maternal receptivity to ICC practices offered by their child's physician.

Main Methods:

• Survey of mothers attending well-child visits in academic family medicine practices.
• Assessed maternal health history, behaviors, and physician counseling on depression, tobacco use, family planning, and folic acid.
• Measured maternal receptivity to health advice.

Main Results:

• Most mothers (75%) shared a medical home with their child.
• Prevalence of risk factors: 17% preterm birth history, 19% depression history, 25% smoking, 26% no contraception, 58% no folic acid.
• Counseling rates varied: 80% for smoking, 59% for depression, 71% for contraception, 44% for folic acid.
• Shared medical home increased depression and family planning screening.
• Mothers showed high receptivity (95%) to advice from their child's physician, regardless of shared medical home.

Conclusions:

• Family physicians deliver essential ICC components during well-child visits.
• Mothers are receptive to health advice from their child's physician, even if receiving primary care elsewhere.
• Integrating ICC into well-child visits is a viable strategy to reduce adverse birth outcomes.