Having a baby requires preparation, and the medical community even recommends doing so before considering pregnancy. However, a third of women (36%) embark on this great adventure without medical or personal preparation, according to a survey (1) OpinionWay, relayed by several digital media.
Most are aware of the risks associated with tobacco, alcohol or drugs, but many are unaware that being diabetic or hypertensive can lead to complications. “Women still do not have the reflex to say to themselves: I have a baby project, I consult”, explains Albane Tresse, spokesperson for the PremUp Foundation (2), sponsor of this survey. Thus, most women (76%) wait for the first signs of pregnancy to consult.
This treatment that is too late contributes to the increase in the number of premature births: 60,000 babies per year, or 7% of births in France, recalls the site of RTL. Multiple pregnancies, delay in the age of conception are the other factors favoring prematurity.
But the social background or education, income, the situation of the person and the language barrier often make pregnancy more complicated. His anticipation and his medical accompaniment then prove to be decisive.
If the pre-pregnancy period often seems neglected, on the other hand, the majority of women (86%) respect the stages of medical follow-up, once the belly is round. But they are still between 19 and 30% not to have modified their lifestyle according to the main risk factors (tobacco, alcohol, pollutants).
(1) Survey conducted online from October 22 to 28 among a sample of 1,010 people representative of the French female population and aged 18 and over.
(2) Perinatal research and care network.
