Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Preconception interventions in infertile couples

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Nafisehsadat Nekuei
. Ashraf Kazemi
. Akbar Hasanzadeh

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract
Background:Preconception interventions in infertile couples can increase the chance of
pregnancy and lower its complications. The success in infertility treatment and achieving a
successful pregnancy is of great importance among infertile couples compared to others.
This study has tried to investigate necessary preconception interventions before beginning
of infertility treatment cycle among infertile couples. Materials and Methods: This is a
cross‑sectional study of 268 individuals presenting to fertility clinics (Moshtagh and Shahid
beheshty) across the city of Isfahan, Iran. Simple sampling method was used. Questionnaire
and patients’ medical records were used to collect data. Descriptive and analytic statistical
methods and SPSS software were used for analysis. Results: The results showed that the
interventions related to diseases treatment and prescription of folic acid before the beginning
of infertility treatment were complete for most of the subject (47.06% and 79.9% respectively),
but referral for genetics counseling had not been conducted in most of the cases (98.9%).
Specific interventions in relation with the infertility treatment before beginning the treatment
cycle had been conducted in 50% of the subjects. Conclusion: The results of this study showed
a weakness concerning necessary preconception interventions before beginning of infertility
treatment cycle in most of the studied subjects. With regard to the effect of preconception
interventions on outcome of infertility treatment, and with consideration of high importance
of pregnancy success in infertile couples, paying more attention to conduct this manner is
necessary.

Keywords

Infertility
Iran
preconception care
pregnancy outcome
subfertility
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 4, Issue 4
Summer 2014
Pages 1-5

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