Prenatal Education Programs in the European Context: A Systematic Review of Their Pedagogical Elements

This systematic review analyzes European Union (EU) prenatal education programs over the last 24 years from a pedagogical perspective, examining their content, methods, and outcomes, and provides recommendations for future program design. A qualitative content analysis of 27 studies on prenatal education programs published between 1999 and 2023 in EU member countries was conducted. There was a notable lack of consensus on the content of prenatal education programs. Almost all the programs focused on the field of health. Pedagogy could thus contribute to a broader and more complex awareness of future challenges, in addition to complementing and enhancing future prenatal education programs, in order to move toward a unified evidence-based approach.