Blueprint
A Blueprint for Enhancing Perinatal Care
Obstetrics, the specialty overseeing infant and parent health before and shortly after birth, could be expanded to address the interrelated areas of parents' prenatal impact on children's brain development and their own psychosocial needs during a time of immense change and neuroplasticity. Obstetrics is primed for the shift that is happening in pediatrics, which is moving from its traditional focus on physical health to a coordinated, whole-person, 2Gen approach. Pediatric care now includes developmental screening, parenting education, parent coaching, access to developmental specialists, brain-building caregiving skills, linkages to community resources, and tiered interventions with psychologists. Pediatric care is enhanced, and obstetrics can be as well.
Drawing on decades of research demonstrating the prenatal beginnings of future child health and new studies on the transition to parenthood describing psychobiological changes from pregnancy to early postpartum, and based on cross-sector collaborations, our Blueprint envisions an augmented perinatal care ecosystem emphasizing whole-person, 2Gen health. The Blueprint includes a range of potential components to expand education, intervention, prevention, and interdisciplinary services while addressing clinician burnout and working within real-world time and resource constraints. With evidence-based solutions and community collaboration, this Blueprint aims to enable perinatal care teams to promote healthier and happier beginnings. The Resources section lists programs aligned with the Blueprint components; simply search by the component topics listed below.
For more background on our Blueprint initiative, please see our recent interdisciplinary publication.
1. Leveraging Trusted Social Media
Did you know:
Over 90% of pregnant individuals use social media and mobile apps to seek pregnancy-related information, yet misinformation spreads rapidly across these platforms?
Access to trusted, evidence-based digital resources extends care beyond clinic visits and supports informed decision-making. Curated social media content, vetted pregnancy apps, and clinician-endorsed online communities provide reliable guidance on pregnancy, childbirth, and infant care. By directing patients to trustworthy digital tools, clinicians can reduce anxiety driven by misinformation and create consistent touchpoints throughout the perinatal journey.
2. Meeting Health Systems' Burnout with Novel Education and Solutions
Did you know:
Clinician burnout in obstetrics exceeds 50%, directly impacting quality of care and contributing to workforce shortages?
Addressing clinician burnout is essential to sustaining high-quality perinatal care. Innovative education models, team-based care approaches, and institutional support systems can support and bolster individual clinicians while improving care delivery. When health systems focus on supporting their perinatal workforce through practical interventions and systemic change, clinicians are better equipped to provide reliably compassionate, evidence-based care.
3. Collaborating with Community Perinatal Experts
Did you know:
Accessing doula expertise reduces anxiety and stress, contributing to better health outcomes? (source)
Collaboration with community health professionals, such as doulas, is integral to providing comprehensive perinatal care. Doulas can offer pregnancy and birth education as well as continuous emotional and physical support during labor, birth, and the postpartum period.
4. Providing Affordable, Accessible Perinatal Mental Health Care
Did you know:
33% of birthing individuals who experience postpartum depression develop symptoms in pregnancy? (source)
Mental health support is a critical component of whole person perinatal care; there is no health without mental health. Providing access to affordable mental health services ensures timely intervention and comprehensive support for parents and parents-to-be. Evidence-based interventions aimed at preventing postpartum depression, including early screenings and targeted therapies, are essential for promoting the well-being of both parents and infants.
5. Creating Patient Support Networks
Did you know:
Strong social networks help reduce the risk of postpartum depression? (source)
Support networks, including peer-led support groups and group prenatal care, play a vital role in enhancing patient outcomes. Support groups facilitate emotional connection and shared experience, empowering parents through mutual understanding. By fostering a collaborative healthcare environment, group prenatal care enhances patient engagement and provides an opportunity for patients to benefit from both professional guidance and peer support.
6. Expanding the role of fathers and partners
Did you know:
According to rodent studies, a father's stress before conception—whether during puberty or adulthood—can reprogram his sperm and actually reduce how strongly his future offspring respond to stress? (source)
A commitment to inclusive perinatal care means recognizing that a father’s health and experiences before conception can shape the lifelong well-being of his children. Emerging research shows that paternal stress—even before pregnancy—can alter sperm in ways that affect how a child responds to stress. This highlights the importance of supporting men’s mental health and stress management as part of preconception and perinatal care. When both parents are cared for and included, families are better equipped to nurture healthy, resilient children.