Abstract
Promotion of a healthy pregnancy is a top priority of the health care policy in many European countries. Perinatal mortality
is an important indicator of the success of this policy. Recently, it was shown that the Netherlands has relatively high perinatal
death rates when compared to other European countries. This is in particular true for large cities where perinatal mortality
rates are 20–50% higher than elsewhere. Consequently in the Netherlands, there is heated debate on how to tackle these problems.
Without the introduction of measures throughout the entire perinatal health care chain, pregnancy outcomes are difficult to
improve. With the support of health care professionals, the City of Rotterdam and the Erasmus University Medical Centre have
taken the initiative to develop an urban perinatal health programme called ‘Ready for a Baby’. The main objective of this
municipal 10-year programme is to improve perinatal health and to reduce perinatal mortality in all districts to at least
the current national average of l0 per 1000. Key elements are the understanding of the mechanisms of the large health differences
between women living in deprived and non-deprived urban areas. Risk guided care, orientation towards shared-care and improvement
of collaborations between health care professionals shapes the interventions that are being developed. Major attention is
given to the development of methods to improve risk-selection before and during pregnancy and methods to reach low-educated
and immigrant groups.
is an important indicator of the success of this policy. Recently, it was shown that the Netherlands has relatively high perinatal
death rates when compared to other European countries. This is in particular true for large cities where perinatal mortality
rates are 20–50% higher than elsewhere. Consequently in the Netherlands, there is heated debate on how to tackle these problems.
Without the introduction of measures throughout the entire perinatal health care chain, pregnancy outcomes are difficult to
improve. With the support of health care professionals, the City of Rotterdam and the Erasmus University Medical Centre have
taken the initiative to develop an urban perinatal health programme called ‘Ready for a Baby’. The main objective of this
municipal 10-year programme is to improve perinatal health and to reduce perinatal mortality in all districts to at least
the current national average of l0 per 1000. Key elements are the understanding of the mechanisms of the large health differences
between women living in deprived and non-deprived urban areas. Risk guided care, orientation towards shared-care and improvement
of collaborations between health care professionals shapes the interventions that are being developed. Major attention is
given to the development of methods to improve risk-selection before and during pregnancy and methods to reach low-educated
and immigrant groups.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Notes from the Field
- Pages 1-6
- DOI 10.1007/s10995-011-0873-y
- Authors
- S. Denktaş, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- G. J. Bonsel, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- E. J. Van der Weg, Municipal Health Service Rotterdam-Rijnmond, P.O. Box 70032, 3000 LP Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- A. J. J. Voorham, The School of Midwifery at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- H. W. Torij, The School of Midwifery at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- J. P. De Graaf, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- H. I. J. Wildschut, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- I. A. Peters, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- E. Birnie, Department of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University, P.O. Box 1732, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- E. A. P. Steegers, Division of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Journal Maternal and Child Health Journal
- Online ISSN 1573-6628
- Print ISSN 1092-7875