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5Prenatal Care


Key Terms

• obstetricians• environmental

factors• premature• low birthweight• Rh factor• diabetes

• pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH)

• sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

• acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

continued


Key Terms

• fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

• congenital problem• pre-term birth• miscarriage

• stillbirth• ultrasound• chorionic villus

sampling (CVS)• amniocentesis


Objective

• Describe the early signs of pregnancy.


Signs of Pregnancy

• Presumptive signs may be the cause of pregnancy or a medical condition

continued


Signs of Pregnancy

• Positive signs are definitely caused by pregnancy


Medical Care

• Obstetricians are doctors who specialize in pregnancy and birth

• First prenatal appointment sets a foundation for medical care throughout the pregnancy– gather health history– complete physical exam– give estimate of due date– give advice on health habits to follow in

pregnancy


Objective

• Explain the role of the environment on prenatal development.


The Unborn Baby’s Environment

• Environmental factors are caused by surroundings

• The prenatal environment is the mother’s body and will affect the baby


Factors That Affect the Baby’s Health


Mother’s Age

• Most ideal time between 21–28 years• Teens are high-risk mothers-to-be

– tend to have babies who are premature, have low birthweights, have disabilities, or are born dead

• Women over 36 have higher rate of babies with health problems and disabilities


Mother’s Physical Health

• Healthy weight for age, height, and body type

• Good eating habits• Regular physical

activity


Rh Factor

• Rh factor is a protein substance found in red blood cells– 85% of population

• Problems if father is Rh+, mother Rh-– 12% of all marriages

• Does not affect first Rh+ unborn– antibodies form to combat foreign Rh+

• Anti-Rh-immune globulin vaccine


Mother’s Emotional Health

• When a mother is happy and relaxed,– adrenaline level is low– heartbeat and breathing are slow– muscles are relaxed

• When a mother is under stress, heartbeat and muscle tension increases in both mother and baby


Objective

• Explain the relationship between the health of the mother and the health of the baby.


Health Habits During Pregnancy

• Nutrition• Weight gain• Hygiene practices• Rest and sleep• Physical activity and

exercise


Nutrition

• By the twelfth week, baby completely depends on mother for food

• Cells need proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins

• Follow the food guidance system developed by the USDA

• Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water• Limit caffeine intake


Weight Gain

• Between 25–35 pounds• More for multiples

– 40–45 pounds for twins• Exact amount depends

on height and prepregnancy weight

continued


Weight Gain

• Much of the weight gain goes to the growing baby and the supporting tissues

• Too much or too little weight gain is not good for the developing baby

• Sudden weight gain and unusual swelling are serious conditions that require prompt medical attention


Hygiene Practices

• Have a dental checkup• Avoid very cold or very hot baths and

hot tubs• Wear comfortable clothes with low-

heeled shoes• Replace tub baths with showers or

sponge baths during the last four to six weeks of pregnancy


Rest and Sleep

• Eight to nine hours of sleep a night• One 15- to 30-minute rest (with or

without sleep) during the day


Physical Activity and Exercise

• Activity helps– keep weight within normal limits– strengthens muscles women use in

delivery– increases energy– relieves tension

• Avoid contact sports, activities that jolt the pelvic region, and activities that could result in falls


Objective

• Describe how diseases, drugs, radiation, environmental pollutants, and congenital problems can harm the fetus.


Health Hazards to Avoid

• Diseases or illnesses in the mother• Drugs

– recreational and prescription

• Radiation exposure– medical X-rays should be avoided

• Environmental pollution– lead, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides


Diseases or Illnesses in the Mother

• Diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to use sugar properly– gestational diabetes affects women who

did not have diabetes before pregnancy

• Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension (PIH) is high blood pressure caused by pregnancy– referred to as preeclampsia or toxemia

continued


Diseases or Illnesses in the Mother

• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infectious illnesses that are passed primarily through sexual intercourse– also known as sexually transmitted

diseases (STDs)– acquired immunodeficiency

syndrome (AIDS)


Drugs

• Medications– prescribed– over-the-counter– dietary

supplements– herbal products

• Alcohol– fetal alcohol

syndrome (FAS)• Nicotine• Illegal drugs


Complications of Pregnancy

• Congenital problem is a physical or biochemical problem present since birth

• Pre-term birth is before 37 weeks of pregnancy

• Miscarriage is the expulsion of the baby before 20 weeks of pregnancy– stillbirth is the loss of the fetus after

20 weeks of pregnancy

continued


Complications of Pregnancy

• Ectopic pregnancy in fallopian tubes• Too much amniotic fluid• Too little amniotic fluid• Bleeding in late pregnancy• Placenta abruptio (placenta detaches

from uterus)• Placenta previa (placenta over cervix)• Pregnancy-induced hypertension


Monitoring the Baby’s Development

• Blood test given at 12 weeks is called a triple-screen – measures AFP (alpha-fetoprotein), HCG

(human chorionic gonadotropin), and estriol (protein found during pregnancy)

– screens for neural tube defects, Down syndrome, and severe abnormalities

• Other blood tests screen for STIs and gestational diabetes

continued



• Ultrasound produces an image of the fetus inside the womb– checks for structural abnormalities– used at any time– safe and routine

continued



• Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) tests a small sample of the chorion– used between weeks 10 and 12– slight risk of infection

• Amniocentesis checks amniotic fluid for over 100 congenital problems– cannot be done until the fetus is 15 to

18 weeks old– 99% safe


What Do You Think?

• Do you think technology should some day be used to allow couples to choose the sex of a baby or other more specialized characteristics, such as height?


• acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which attacks the body’s immune system.

• amniocentesis. Prenatal test in which a needle is inserted through the woman’s abdomen into the amniotic sac and a sample of the fluid is removed for cell study.

Glossary of Key Terms


• chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Prenatal procedure for finding abnormalities in the unborn by testing a small sample of the chorion.

• congenital problem. Physical or biochemical problem that is present at birth and may be caused by genetic or environmental factors.



• diabetes. Disorder caused by the body’s inability to use sugar properly.

• environmental factors. Those factors caused by a person’s surroundings.

• fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Group of symptoms that appears in infants whose mothers drank during pregnancy.



• low birthweight. Term used to describe babies who weigh less than 5½ pounds at birth.

• miscarriage. Expulsion of a baby from the mother’s body before week 20 of pregnancy.

• obstetricians. Doctors who specialize in pregnancy and birth.



• pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). Name for high blood pressure caused by pregnancy.

• premature. Term used to describe babies who are born too soon.

• pre-term birth. Delivery that occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy.



• Rh factor. Protein substance found in the red blood cells of about 85 percent of the population.

• sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Infectious illnesses that are passed primarily through sexual intercourse.

• stillbirth. Loss of a fetus after 20 weeks of pregnancy.



• ultrasound. Prenatal test in which sound waves bounce off the fetus to produce an image of the fetus inside the womb.


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