BANGOR - Penquis recently received grants from the Penobscot Valley Health Association Fund of the Maine Community Foundation and from the Davis Family Foundation to support the integration of preconception counseling and care into Penquis Health Services.

Healthy births are largely influenced by the health of the mother. Such factors as substance use, nutrition, prenatal care, overweight-obesity, chronic medical conditions, family history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, and stress play a part in birth outcomes and may be a determinant of infant mortality, low birth-weight and birth defects. The main goal of preconception care is to provide health promotion, screening and interventions for women of reproductive age to reduce risk factors that might affect future pregnancies.