National and international guidelines for preconception care and comparison with Australian guidelines: a systematic review
Clinical Snapshot
PICO Framework
| P — Population | Healthcare providers and patients seeking preconception care guidance |
| I — Intervention | National and international preconception care guidelines |
| C — Comparator | RACGP Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice (2024 Red Book) |
| O — Outcomes | Comprehensiveness of preconception care recommendations, identification of gaps in current Australian guidelines |
Bottom Line
This systematic review identifies four evidence-based preconception care elements missing from the current RACGP Red Book: inclusion of male partners, domestic violence screening, chlamydia/gonorrhoea screening, and female genital mutilation screening. The study provides a robust foundation for enhancing Australian preconception care guidelines by comparing them with seven international guidelines. While the methodology appears sound with comprehensive database searching, the abstract lacks detail about quality assessment methods. The findings are directly applicable to Australian general practice and could inform the development of more comprehensive preconception care tools. The identified gaps represent practical, implementable improvements that could enhance the quality and consistency of preconception care delivery across Australia.
Key Findings
P Value: Not applicable for qualitative synthesis
Effect Size: Four specific evidence-based elements missing from current Australian guidelines
Primary Outcome: Identification of preconception care gaps in RACGP guidelines
Nnt Or Sensitivity: Seven international guidelines identified for comparison with 100% showing additional elements not in RACGP guidelines
Confidence Interval: Not applicable for guideline comparison study
Clinical Application
High feasibility as recommendations align with existing clinical workflows and could be integrated into current practice Directly relevant to RACGP Red Book updates, Australian general practice settings, and development of preconception care tools for local use Australian general practitioners and healthcare providers delivering preconception care
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Guidelines for preconception care are resources that are systematically arranged based on evidence and local contexts to enhance the delivery of high-quality and consistent healthcare. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Guidelines (RACGP) for preventive activities in general practice (the Red Book) contains specific components of preconception care items, yet this guideline primarily focuses on general preventive healthcare and may not include a comprehensive list of preconception items based on more recent evidence. This review aimed to compare the recent RACGP guidelines (the 2024 Red Book) with national and international guidelines for preconception care. METHODS: Electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Scopus, were systematically searched following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. We also searched clinical guideline registries on professional organisations' websites. Searches were conducted from May to June 2024 and in July 2025. RESULTS: We identified seven other national and international guidelines that recommended what should be done as part of preconception health in clinical practice. Preconception care elements that were not included in the current RACGP guidelines that have evidence of effectiveness were the inclusion of men in preconception care, screening for intimate partners and domestic violence, screening for chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections, and screening for female genital mutilation as part of preconception care. CONCLUSIONS: This review identified four preconception care elements that may potentially improve the implementation of preconception care in Australian practice. This work informs the next steps towards developing a comprehensive preconception medical record tool for use in general practice.
References
- 1.Mekonnen, A. G., Doust, J., Gete, D. G., & Mishra, G. D. (2026). National and international guidelines for preconception care and comparison with Australian guidelines: a systematic review. Australian Journal of Primary Health. https://doi.org/10.1071/PY25172
Related Research
The Journal of rheumatology
Examining the Role of Wearables in Inflammatory Arthritis Care: A Narrative Literature Review
3 Aug 2026
Journal of medical Internet research
Advancing Human-Centered AI in Clinical Decision Support: Sociocognitive Human-in-the-Loop Study in HIV Care
2 Aug 2026
Journal of psychiatric research
Systematic review of machine learning and deep learning models for EEG-based detection of depression.
2 Aug 2026
This content is for educational purposes for healthcare professionals only and does not constitute clinical advice. Clinical decisions should be based on individual patient assessment, current guidelines, and appropriate specialist consultation. Editorial Standards · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service