A woman who is healthy at the time of conception is more likely to have a successful pregnancy and a healthy child. We reviewed published evidence and present new data from low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries on the timing and importance of preconception health for subsequent maternal and child health. We describe the extent to which pregnancy is planned, and whether planning is linked to preconception health behaviours. Observational studies show strong links between health before pregnancy and maternal and child health outcomes, with consequences that can extend across generations, but awareness of these links is not widespread. Poor nutrition and obesity are rife among women of reproductive age, and differences between high-income and low-income countries have become less distinct, with typical diets falling far short of nutritional recommendations in both settings and especially among adolescents. Several studies show that micronutrient supplementation starting in pregnancy can correct important maternal nutrient deficiencies, but effects on child health outcomes are disappointing. Other interventions to improve diet during pregnancy have had little effect on maternal and newborn health outcomes. Comparatively few interventions have been made for preconception diet and lifestyle. Improvements in the measurement of pregnancy planning have quantified the degree of pregnancy planning and suggest that it is more common than previously recognised. Planning for pregnancy is associated with a mixed pattern of health behaviours before conception. We propose novel definitions of the preconception period relating to embryo development and actions at individual or population level. A sharper focus on intervention before conception is needed to improve maternal and child health and reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. Alongside continued efforts to reduce smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity in the population, we call for heightened awareness of preconception health, particularly regarding diet and nutrition. Importantly, health professionals should be alerted to ways of identifying women who are planning a pregnancy.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) provides a solution towards decarbonization of the 21global economy. The success of this solution depends on the ability to safely and 22 2 permanently store CO 2 . This study demonstrates for the first time the permanent 23 disposal of CO 2 as environmentally benign carbonate minerals in basaltic rocks. We 24 find that over 95% of the CO 2 injected into the CarbFix site in Iceland was mineralized 25 to carbonate minerals in less than two years. This result contrasts with the common 26 view that the immobilization of CO 2 as carbonate minerals within geologic reservoirs 27 takes several hundreds to thousands of years. Our results, therefore, demonstrate 28 that the safe long-term storage of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions through 29 mineralization can be far faster than previously postulated. 30 31The success of geologic CO 2 storage depends on its long-term security and public 32 acceptance in addition to regulatory, policy, and economical factors (1). CO 2 and brine 33 leakage through a confining system above the storage reservoir or through abandoned 34 wells is considered as one of the major challenges associated with geologic CO 2 storage 35 [e.g. (2, 3, 4)]. Leakage rates into the atmosphere of ≤0.1% are required to ensure 36 effective climate change mitigation [e.g. (5, 6)]. To avoid CO 2 leakage, caprock integrity 37 needs to be evaluated and monitored (7). Leakage risk is further enhanced by induced 38 seismicity, which may open fluid flow pathways in the caprock (8). Mineral 39 carbonatization (i.e. the conversion of CO 2 to carbonate minerals) via CO 2 -fluid-rock 40 reactions in the reservoir minimizes the risk of leakage and thus facilitates long-term 41 and safe carbon storage and public acceptance (9). The potential for carbonatization is, 42 however, limited in conventional CO 2 storage reservoirs such as deep saline aquifers, 43 and depleted oil and gas reservoirs in sedimentary basins due to the lack of calcium, 44 3 magnesium and iron rich silicate minerals required to form carbonate minerals (10, 11). 45An alternative is to inject CO 2 into basaltic rocks, which contain up to 25% by weight of 46 calcium, magnesium and iron. Basaltic rocks are highly reactive, and one of the most 47 common rock types on Earth, covering ~10% of continental surface area and most of the 48 ocean floor [e.g. (12, 13)]. 49 50The CarbFix pilot project was designed to promote and verify in situ CO 2 mineralization 51 in basaltic rocks for the permanent disposal of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions (14). Two 52 injection tests were performed at the CarbFix injection site near the Hellisheidi 53 geothermal power plant: Phase I: 175 tons of pure CO 2 from January to March 2012, and 54Phase II: 73 tons of a CO 2 -H 2 S gas mixture in June to August 2012, of which 55 tons were 55 CO 2 . Note that H 2 S is not only a major constituent of geothermal gases but also of CO 2 -56 rich sour gas. Since the cost of CCS is dominated by capture and gas separation, the 57 overall cost could be lowered substan...

BackgroundMaternal rectovaginal colonization with group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the most common pathway for GBS disease in mother, fetus, and newborn. This article, the second in a series estimating the burden of GBS, aims to determine the prevalence and serotype distribution of GBS colonizing pregnant women worldwide.MethodsWe conducted systematic literature reviews (PubMed/Medline, Embase, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature [LILACS], World Health Organization Library Information System [WHOLIS], and Scopus), organized Chinese language searches, and sought unpublished data from investigator groups. We applied broad inclusion criteria to maximize data inputs, particularly from low- and middle-income contexts, and then applied new meta-analyses to adjust for studies with less-sensitive sampling and laboratory techniques. We undertook meta-analyses to derive pooled estimates of maternal GBS colonization prevalence at national and regional levels.ResultsThe dataset regarding colonization included 390 articles, 85 countries, and a total of 299924 pregnant women. Our adjusted estimate for maternal GBS colonization worldwide was 18% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17%–19%), with regional variation (11%–35%), and lower prevalence in Southern Asia (12.5% [95% CI, 10%–15%]) and Eastern Asia (11% [95% CI, 10%–12%]). Bacterial serotypes I–V account for 98% of identified colonizing GBS isolates worldwide. Serotype III, associated with invasive disease, accounts for 25% (95% CI, 23%–28%), but is less frequent in some South American and Asian countries. Serotypes VI–IX are more common in Asia.ConclusionsGBS colonizes pregnant women worldwide, but prevalence and serotype distribution vary, even after adjusting for laboratory methods. Lower GBS maternal colonization prevalence, with less serotype III, may help to explain lower GBS disease incidence in regions such as Asia. High prevalence worldwide, and more serotype data, are relevant to prevention efforts.