Background: A Global Health Council 6-year study revealed the world’s 1.3 billion woman of childbearing age have experienced a total of more than 1.2 billion pregnancies. Of these, over 300 million were unintended and nearly 700,000 women lost their lives as a result of these pregnancies. One third of these deaths were from a myriad of problems associated with these pregnancies. Foreground: Each year in the United States, 12% of babies are born premature, 8% are born with low birth weight, and 3% have major birth defects. Of women giving birth, 31% suffer pregnancy complications, 11% smoke during pregnancy, 10% consume alcohol, 69% do not take folic acid supplements, 31% are obese, and about 3% take prescription or over-the-counter drugs. In addition, about 4% of women have preexisting medical conditions such as diabetes that can negatively affect pregnancy if left unmanaged. EBP Framework/Methods: Larrabee’s models of evidence-based practice change as well as Kotter’s leading change model were used to facilitate the new practice change and evaluation of clinicians’ adherence. The pilot project ran for four weeks and was devoted to one clinic with four clinicians. The data collected were: (a) the reproductive risk assessment of every woman of child bearing age, (b) discussion and education regarding having a reproductive life plan, and (c) discussion on the use of folic acid or prescription given for the use of folic acid. Findings/Results: The data showed 100% adherence to the guidelines for all four clinicians. The clinicians addressed with every woman of childbearing age who sough care the need for spacing and managing health conditions to potentially increase the level of preconception wellness, bringing about healthier women, healthier pregnancies, and healthier babies. Conclusions/Recommendations: Risks associated with poor pregnancy outcomes remain prevalent among women of reproductive age in the United States. Therefore, the clinicians’ adhering to the new practice guidelines and promoting women’s wellness at every family planning visit increases the potential to impact the health and well-being of women. At the conclusion of the pilot, the project manager recommended that the organization write a grant to request funding from Title X to dispense free folic acid to women seen at the clinic who are of childbearing age and to those who plan to conceive in the next four to six months.
