The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) made the suggestion as part of a new NHS guideline that recommends the re-organisation of maternity services to improve access to and uptake of antenatal care for women in difficult social circumstances.
Currently, these women often fail to attend antenatal appointments.
Nice said that offering health checks in schools in particular would help young mothers-to-be engage with NHS services. Antenatal classes for teenagers could also be held in children’s centres and GPs’ surgeries to help some overcome the embarrassment they feel about being pregnant.
Dr Gillian Leng, Nice deputy chief executive, said: "Expectant mothers need support throughout their pregnancy yet some groups of women do not access, or continue to maintain contact with, traditional antenatal care services because of issues such as domestic violence, teenage pregnancy or not having English as a first language.
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