Stillbirths: what difference can we make and at what cost?

Worldwide, 2·65 million (uncertainty range 2·08 million to 3·79 million) stillbirths occur yearly, of which 98% occur in countries of low and middle income. Despite the fact that more than 45% of the global burden of stillbirths occur intrapartum, the perception is that little is known about effective interventions, especially those that can be implemented in low-resource settings. We undertook a systematic review of randomised trials and observational studies of interventions which could reduce the burden of stillbirths, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. We identified several interventions with sufficient evidence to recommend implementation in health systems, including periconceptional folic acid supplementation or fortification, prevention of malaria, and improved detection and management of syphilis during pregnancy in endemic areas. Basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care were identified as key effective interventions to reduce intrapartum stillbirths. Broad-scale implementation of intervention packages across 68 countries listed as priorities in the Countdown to 2015 report could avert up to 45% of stillbirths according to a model generated from the Lives Saved Tool. The overall costs for these interventions are within the general estimates of cost-effective interventions for maternal care, especially in view of the effects on outcomes across maternal, fetal, and neonatal health.

The business case for preconception care: methods and issues.

Only a limited number of economic evaluations have addressed the costs and benefits of preconception care. In order to persuade health care providers, payers, or purchasers to become actively involved in promoting preconception care, it is important to demonstrate the value of doing so through development of a "business case". Perceived benefits in terms of organizational reputation and market share can be influential in forming a business case. In addition, it is standard to include an economic analysis of financial costs and benefits from the perspective of the provider practice, payer, or purchaser in a business case. The methods, data needs, and other issues involved with preparing an economic analysis of the likely financial return on investment in preconception care are presented here. This is accompanied by a review or case study of economic evaluations of preconception care for women with recognized diabetes. Although the data are not sufficient to draw firm conclusions, there are indications that such care may yield positive financial benefits to health care organizations through reduction in maternal and infant hospitalizations. More work is needed to establish how costs and economic benefits are distributed among different types of organizations. Also, the optimum methods of delivering preconception care for women with diabetes need to be evaluated. Similar assessments should also be conducted for other forms of preconception care, including comprehensive care.

Preconception care: preliminary estimates of costs and effects of smoking cessation and folic acid supplementation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess costs and effectiveness of preconception counseling for all women planning pregnancy in The Netherlands with regard to folic acid supplementation and smoking cessation counseling. STUDY DESIGN: Costs and effects were estimated based on 200,000 women approached yearly and uptake rates of 50% and 75%. Effectiveness and potential savings were based on hospital costs of neural tube defects, low birth weight, very low birth weight and perinatal death attributable to maternal smoking. RESULTS: Total costs were estimated at dollar 5.1 million and dollar 7.2 million at uptake rates of 50% and 75%, respectively. If 50% of women would seek preconception counseling, 22 neural tube defects, 98 low-birth-weight infants, 10 very-low-birth-weight infants and 7 perinatal deaths could be avoided. At 75% uptake, 33 neural tube defects, 146 low- and 15 very-low-birth-weight infants, and 11 perinatal deaths could be avoided. CONCLUSION: Net costs of preconception counseling amount to dollar 3.7 million and dollar 5.0 million when considering cases prevented and subsequent potential savings in costs of neural tube defects and smoking-related morbidity only. However, in light of many other preventable adverse outcomes and the potential of preconception counseling to prevent significant lifetime costs for affected children, the net costs may ultimately result in a favorable cost-savings balance. Moreover, the importance of a healthy child cannot be expressed in terms of costs and savings alone.

Ten years of experience in periconceptional care.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the methods of the periconceptional care, consisting of counselling, examinations and medical intervention in Hungary. The term periconceptional is used instead of preconceptional because early postconceptional period is also involved to this service. METHODS: A model was developed based on three steps: check-up of reproductive health (i.e. preconceptional screening), the 3-month preparation for conception, and better protection in early pregnancy for the most sensitive early development of embryo for voluntary and eligible couples. Data of 8837 female and 7600 male participants from the coordinating centre of the Hungarian periconceptional care between 1 February 1984 and 31 January 1994 are summarized. Mean maternal age was 25.8+/-3.4 years, 84 and 60% of female participants were primiparae, and had high education (> or = 13 classes), respectively. RESULTS: It was possible to establish periconceptional care performed and/or supervised by qualified nurses. Participants with positive family history, case history and where genitourinary infections were detected, had a more effective flow towards secondary care. Infertile couples were diagnosed and treated sooner. The periconceptional care is effective for the introduction of periconceptional folic acid/multivitamin supplementation and for the reduction of smoking and alcohol consumption in females in the preconceptional period. The rate of major congenital abnormalities (20.6/1000) was significantly lower than expected (35/1000). CONCLUSIONS: Periconceptional care is feasible and has many benefits. Thus, proper preparation for conception is the earliest and probably the most important method of health promotion in general, particularly for the prevention of congenital abnormalities.