Against the backdrop of the three previous reports (parts I-III), the first project year resulted in the critical and analytical formulation of the general demand for prevention measures and screening services for pregnant women and families with children.
The frequency of occurrence of the health threats are discussed on the basis of Austrian (regional and national) as well as international data.
Most common and potentially lethal health threats, or those with severe health consequences can be divided into one of three groups: “classical medical diseases”, “preterm deliveries including causes and consequences” and “socio-demographic as well as health threats influenced by the living environment and life-style”. The four major risk groups that could be identified were young women (≤ 19 year) and women ≥ 40 years, women with chronic diseases or substance abuse, families and children under socio-economic hardship and pregnant women expecting multiples or preterm infants. In addition to the electronic organisation of a screening document, measures to decrease the preterm birth rate, the (presently absent or hardly offered) visiting health services and supportive financial mechanisms were identified as crucial with regards to the reorientation of the parent-child preventive care programme. Given the different approaches of “prevention” (from health promotion to secondary prevention) concerted policy efforts towards the improvement of the health of parents and children in Austria are needed.