Safe pregnancy and childbirth, healthy children and the ability to control one’s fertility are important goals for families and key indicators of good health. To meet these goals, women need access to health services before, during and after birth. In addition to care for a current pregnancy, women need family planning services to space or prevent subsequent pregnancies. Their children need access to health care immediately after birth and throughout their first years of life to provide a foundation for healthy growth and development. A continuum of care across time and place can help to ensure that mothers, newborns and children receive these services seemlessly and effectively.
