NICE guidance recommends fewer but earlier antenatal check ups

Healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies should have fewer but more informative antenatal check ups, says new evidence based guidance, published last week, on the routine care of pregnant women.

The guidance, from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, recommends that healthy women should typically be offered 10 appointments during first pregnancies and seven during subsequent pregnancies, rather than the current average of around 14.

The guidance, which applies to the NHS in England and Wales, suggests that appointments—although fewer—should start earlier in pregnancy. Most women currently see a doctor at around 12 weeks, but the guidance says that seeing a health professional earlier, at around …