Midwives could be sent into schools to give advice and carry out health checks on expectant young mothers, the health watchdog announced on Monday.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) claims pregnant under-20s often feel excluded from mainstream antenatal care and hopes that setting up such clinics in schools will combat this trend.
Experts claim that services should be tailored to the needs of women in each region. Suggestions include creating opportunities for the father’s involvement if the mother agrees, providing a “one-stop shop” for antenatal care and offering information suitable for women of a young age.
It states that NHS trusts should commission “antenatal care and education in peer groups in a variety of settings, such as GP surgeries, children’s centres and schools”.
The guidance covers England and Wales and is aimed at women from deprived backgrounds, including those suffering social deprivation, domestic abuse, drug or alcohol misuse and women who struggle with written and spoken English.
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