Objective: To validate the six-item short form of the state scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for usage in screening outcomes in a Dutch population receiving preconception counseling. Methods: Men and women completed the 20-item full form of the STAI before (n = 310) and after preconception counseling (n = 147). Prorated scores of the six-item form were compared to the full form using Pearson’s correlation coefficients and paired t tests. Results: Cronbach’s α for the Dutch translation of the short-form of the STAI-state was 0.83. The short form highly correlates with the full form (r = 0.95). The short form was able to discriminate between different levels of anxiety and was sensitive to change. Conclusion: The Dutch translation of the short form of the STAI-state has good reliability and validity and was found to be useful as a quick tool to evaluate the effectiveness of screening programs on anxiety levels. We believe our results will be applicable to other populations, although this needs to be confirmed in other studies.

No abstract

Objective: To describe nutritional intake and lifestyle factors in women planning pregnancy. Study design: A semi-quantitative, 1-month food frequency questionnaire and a questionnaire on health practices and personal views were filled out at home and verified by telephone interview. Results: One hundred and one women agreed to participate and data of 69 women were eligible for evaluation. Women planning pregnancy (n ¼ 46) consumed significantly more saturated fats and proteins, less carbohydrates and higher median intakes of Vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, selenium, magnesium and iron than controls (n ¼ 23; P < 0:05). However, the percentage of women planning pregnancy with intakes below recommended dietary allowances was 74% for iron, 59% for selenium, 48% for Vitamin A and 91% for copper. Ninety-six percent and 20% of them reported alcohol use and smoking, respectively. Conclusions: Nutritional intake of women in the preconception period appears to be inadequate. Efforts to increase awareness of a healthy diet and lifestyle before and throughout pregnancy should be continued. #

Preconception care, a long-established concept for primary prevention of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality through detection and reduction of modifiable risks, has been widely propagated for the last decades. This article provides an overview of the various goals and practices described in the literature in different parts of the world, including issues and controversies pertaining to the provision and implementation of preconception care in different health care settings.

Aim: Validation of a self-administered Internet questionnaire for preconception risk assessment. Methods: Women with an appointment at the outpatient clinics for preconception care or fertility at the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam were requested to fill out the online questionnaire prior to attendance. Subsequently, the items of the questionnaire were verified by history taking during the first or next appointment. Agreement between the 2 screening methods (Internet vs. history taking) was calculated using Kappa statistic. Results: Most lifestyle variables, including smoking, alcohol, and dietary items, showed a good to high level of agreement when compared to the interview. Most medical history and obstetric history items also showed a good to high level of agreement. The use of over-the-counter drugs revealed a poor level of agreement (Kappa = 0.21). The items pertaining to women’s family history showed a reasonable level of agreement; however, the partner’s family history was unreliable and should be checked at the interview. Conclusion: The online questionnaire www.zwangerwijzer.nl is a useful tool for the identification of a number of potential risk factors in the preconception care setting and was found to be a an efficient and clear screening instrument by the majority of women. However, additional history taking by trained professionals is necessary to verify several items and to further explore identified risk factors for an adverse pregnancy outcome.

Objectives: To evaluate periconceptional maternal biochemical and hematological parameters and vitamin profiles in relation to the risk of early pregnancy loss and birth weight. Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Setting: University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, Maria and Elisabeth Hospitals, Tilburg, and Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Subjects: A cohort of 240 women recruited before pregnancy. Interventions: Blood samples were taken preconceptional and at 6 and 10 weeks amenorrhea in which the concentrations of hemoglobin, hematocrit, creatinin, uric acid, total protein, serum iron, total iron-binding capacity, ferritin, and the concentrations of retinol, tocopherol, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxal-5 0 -phosphate, cobalamin and folate were analyzed. Main outcome measures: Risk of early pregnancy loss and birth weight. Results: The risk of early pregnancy loss increased with increasing prepregnancy weight, and when the periconceptional decline in hematocrit, creatinin and uric acid was less profound (slope: Po0.01). Maternal smoking was negatively associated with birth weight (mean reduction of 183 g, Po0.05). Maternal age and prepregnancy weight were positively associated with birth weight (Po0.01). No significant associations were found between vitamin concentrations and risk of early pregnancy loss or birth weight. Conclusions: Several periconceptional biochemical parameters are significantly associated with early pregnancy loss. The effects of maternal periconceptional health on embryonic development and subsequent pregnancy outcome should be further explored.

No abstract

No abstract