Preconception care, chronic illness, nurses

Maternal Nursing and Midwifery

In recent years, preconception care (PCC) has been promoted, which aims to improve pregnancy outcomes by managing health before pregnancy and planning pregnancy and childbirth. In particular, for patients with chronic diseases, planned pregnancy is desirable because their condition affects pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage and low birth weight, and pregnancy affects their condition. In addition, since treatment plans change depending on whether or not a patient wants to become pregnant, such as changing medication to one with less effect on the fetus before pregnancy or starting infertility treatment early depending on the patient's age, it is necessary to properly understand the patient's knowledge and intentions regarding pregnancy and childbirth. In addition, nurses need to support patients in deepening their understanding of pregnancy and childbirth and making appropriate decisions. However, these things are not being done properly in clinical settings. In a survey of nurses who care for patients with chronic diseases, 63% had experienced patients consulting them about pregnancy and childbirth, but 71% answered that they were not confident about implementing PCC. Therefore, with the aim of enabling chronic disease patients to receive appropriate PCC and have a safe, secure, and more comfortable pregnancy and childbirth, we are conducting research to improve the practical PCC skills of nurses who care for chronic disease patients and to support pregnancy and childbirth for chronic disease patients in collaboration with doctors and midwives.We also hold preconception outpatient clinics three times a month at the nursing outpatient clinic of Hyogo Medical University Hospital.

There have been no reports of nurses working with doctors and midwives to implement PCC for patients with chronic diseases, making this a highly novel study.

The point is that nurses, who are in a position to appropriately understand patients' knowledge and intentions regarding pregnancy and childbirth, can improve their ability to practice PCC.

Because treatment plans change depending on whether or not the patient wishes to become pregnant, this is expected to improve the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases and result in good pregnancy outcomes.

―

―

1. Survey on nurses' needs regarding preconception care for patients with rheumatic collagen disease. Journal of the Japanese Society of Rheumatic Nursing JSRN, 2, 1-3, 2021.