[Preconception care in 2018; still too many missed opportunities]

Good preconception care does not only benefit the health of the mother to be and her child during pregnancy, but also their health in later life. In the Netherlands, preconception care is not standard care. Preconception care aims to prevent biomedical, behavioural and social risks by taking steps before conception to reduce the likelihood of these risks materialising. It also helps mothers to be to make informed reproductive choices. Caregivers and the public are not aware enough of the extent in which the first 10 weeks of pregnancy affect the health of the infant and of the child later in life. Nowadays, antenatal care often starts around 8 weeks of pregnancy, by which time it is too late to influence potential risks since embryonic development and placentation start immediately after conception. Therefore, all young men and women need to be offered preconception care.