1. The Foresight Study 1995

Foresight, the Association for the Promotion of Preconceptual Care, was established in the United Kingdom in 1978. A Foresight study, carried out in conjunction with Surrey University (published in the Journal of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine 1995), clearly shows the effectiveness of pre conception care.

Foresight Study Results: The women participating in the study ranged from 22 to 45 years, the men from 25 to 59 years. 41% of the couples had no previous adverse reproductive history, but among these were the older couples. The 2-year study involved 367 couples.

Normal expectation:

• 70 miscarriages
• 6 malformations

Results (Overview):

• No miscarriages, perinatal deaths, malformations
• No baby admitted to intensive care [1,2]

Results (Detailed):

Presenting with a Previous History of (Percentage in Sample):

• Infertility 37%
• Miscarriage 38%
• Therapeutic abortion 11%
• Still birth 3%
• ‘Small for Dates’ or low birth weight babies 15%
• Malformations 2%
• SIDS 1%

Outcome (Percentage in Sample):

• Live births 89%
• Live births to those previously infertile 81%
• Average gestational age 38.5 weeks
• Earliest gestational age 36 weeks
• Average weight of males 7lb 4oz (3303g)
• Average weight of females 7lb 2oz (3232g)
• Lightest baby 5lb 3 oz (2367g)

2. The Foresight Study 2003

Foresight completed a further, larger study with 1,061 couples. The statistics from this show excellent outcomes, with a conception rate of 78.4% (leady to a healthy baby) within 2 years of following the programme. This study also suggests a more than doubled conception success rate for IVF of 47.1% following pre conception care [1].

3. University of New England

Susan Arentz, BHSc(Hons) ND, Dip Hom; Dip Bot Med. And Dr Gemma O’Brien, BSc(Hons), PhDSyd, carried out an independent study of 67 patients on the Natural Fertility Management Conception Program at the Jocelyn Centre. A high proportion of the couples in this study (those in the test group) had serious fertility problems and were diagnosed as infertile. In both the test and control group, 25% of women were over 40 years. Results showed that 56% of previously infertile couples conceived within the first 2 months following the programme and 50% of these women were in the 40+ age group [3,4].