Antenatal Care
Antenatal Care
Antenatal Care
ANC includes
HISTORY TAKING EXAMINATION ADVICE INVESTIGATION MEDICINE DIET & GENERAL ADVICE
AIMS OF ANC
TO SCREEN HIGH RISK CASES. TO PREVENT OR TO DETECT & TREAT ANY COMPLICATIONS AT THE EARLIEST. TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH OF THE FEMALE THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY. TO EDUCATE MOTHER REGARDING THE PHYSIOLOGY OF PREGNANCY & LABOUR, TO REMOVE HER ANXIETY & FEAR OF CHILD BIRTH. TO SCREEN THE FETUS TO MONITOR FETAL GROWTH & ITS WELL BEING. TO DECIDE TIME, MODE & PLACE OF DELIVERY. TO GUIDE PARENTS IN INFANT & CHILD CARE. TO GIVE CONTRACEPTIVE ADVICE.
OBJECTIVES OF ANC
WOMAN ENTERS PREGNANCY WITH AN OPTIMAL STATE OF HEALTH. DELIVERY OF A HEALTHY BABY. MAINTAINANCE OF THE HEALTH OF THE MOTHER. Main aim is delivery of a healthy baby from a healthy mother.
1ST VISIT IN SECOND TRIMESTER AT AROUND 16 WEEKS. 2ND VISIT BETWEEN 24-28 WEEKS. 3RD VISIT AT 32 WEEKS. 4TH VISIT AT 36 WEEKS.
SCHEDULE FOR OPTIMAL ANC VISITS. ANC visits in developing countries like our are as follows -
ROUTINE CHECK UP IS DONE AT AN INTERVAL OF 4 WEEKS UPTO 28 WEEKS AND AT AN INTERVAL OF 2 WEEKS UPTO 36 WEEKS AND THEREAFTER WEEKLY TILL EDD.
OBTAIN A BASELINE INFORMATION AGAINST WHICH THE SUBSEQUENT CHANGES ARE ASSESSED. ASSESS HEALTH STATUS OF THE MOTHER AND FETUS. SCREEN OUT HIGH RISK PREGNANCY.
SUBSEQUENT VISITS
ASSESS FETAL WELLBEING. ASSESS THE LIE, PRESENTATION & POSITION OF THE FETUS. ASSESS FOR ANAEMIA & PIH. SELECT TIME FOR USG & AMNIOCENTESIS IF REQUIRED. PLAN THE MODE OF DELIVERY.
ANC ADVICE
DIETARY ADVICE
DIET SHOULD BE LIGHT, NUTRITIOUS, EASILY DIGESTIBLE, RICH IN PROTEINS, MINERALS (iron) & VITAMINS. + I/2 LITRE OF MILK. + GREEN VEGETABLES & FRUITS.
SALT SHOULD BE JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE FOOD PALATABLE. Avoid excess salt in the diet.
IRON 70-80 mg one capsule/day from second trimester. FOLIC ACID 5mg/day in the first trimester VITAMIN B12 100mg/day in the first trimester CALCIUM 1000mg/day from 20 weeks of pregnancy
PROTEIN
GENERAL ADVICE
8 to IO HOURS OF SLEEP ON AN AVERAGE ESPECIALLY LAST 6 WEEKS. CONTINUE USUAL ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY. INCREASE FLUIDS & FIBRE IN THE DIET TO PREVENT CONSTIPATON. RETRACTED NIPPLES NEED CORRECTION DURING PREGNANCY. AVOID COITUS IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER & LAST 6 WEEKS. NO SMOKING & ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY. TETATUS TOXOID IMMUNIZATION. ( Inj TT 0.5 ml IM 2 doses at an interval of 4-6 weeks) ADVICE REGARDING TRAVELLING AND WORK.
ELDERLY PRIMI > 30 YEARS. SHORT STATURED PRIMI <145 cms. THREATENED ABORTION OR APH MALPRESENTATION PRE ECLAMPSIA AND ECLAMPSIA ANAEMIA ELDERLY GRAND MULTIPARA TWINS AND HYDRAMNIOS
PREVIOUS STILL BIRTH, IUFD, H/O MANUAL REMOVAL OF PLACENTA OR PROLONGED LABOUR H/O PREVIOUS CAESAREAN SECTION OR INSTRUMENTAL DELIVERY.
RETAINED PLACENTA
PUERPEREAL FEVER AND SEPSIS
MATERNAL AGE >35 YRS. STRONG F/H OF NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS. PREVIOUS CHILD HAVING NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS OR CHROMOSOMAL ANOMALIES. H/O RECURRENT ABORTIONS. ONE OR BOTH PARENTS ARE CARRIERS OF SEX LINKED OR AUTOSOMAL TRAITS. H/O VIRAL INFECTION IN EARLY PREGNANCY.
BIOCHEMICAL TESTS
1. MATERNAL SERUM ALPHA FETOPROTEIN i.e. MSAFP IT INCREASES IN NEURAL TUBE DEFECTS, MULTIPLE PREGNANCY, IUFD,RENAL ANOMALIES. IT DECREASES IN DOWNS SYNDROME,GESTATIONAL TROPHOBLASTIC DISEASES.
2. TRIPLE TEST / TRIPLE MARKER TEST IT IS A COMBINED BIOCHEMIOCAL TEST WHICH INCLUDES MSAFP ( maternal serum alpha fetoprotein), hCG and UE3 (unconjugated estriol ).
CYTOGENIC TESTS
1. CVS CHORIONIC VILLUS SAMPLING OR CVB CHORIONIC VILLUS BIOPSY IT IS DONE AT 10-12 WEEKS UNDER USG GUIDANCE AND TROPHOBLAST CELLS ARE OBTAINED. 2. AMNIOCENTESIS AT AROUND 14 16 WEEKS UNDER USG GUIDANCE. AMNIOTIC FLUID AND FETAL CELLS ARE OBTAINED. CORDOCENTESIS DONE AT AROUND 18-20 WEEKS , FETAL BLOOD CELLS ARE OBTAINED.
3.
ULTRASONOGRAPHY ANOMALY SCAN IT IS A SPECIALIZED SONOGRAPH WHERE ALL THE ORGANS OF FETUS ARE SCANNED A DETAIL STUDY OF THE FETUS IS CARRIED OUT. COLOUR DOPPLER Specialized sonography done to see the placental blood flow, blood flow through the umbilical vessels.
3. BIOPHYSICAL TESTS - FETAL KICK COUNT / FETAL MOVEMENT COUNT NORMAL 10 OR MORE MOVEMENTS IN 12 HOURS. MOVEMENTS MAY BE PERCEIVED WITH DIFFICULTY IN CASE OF HYDRAMNIOS, ANTERIOS PLACENTA, OBESITY, SMOKING, DRUG INTAKE. - NON STRESS TEST NST CONTINUOUS ELECTRONIC MONITORING OF FETAL HEART RATE.
CARDIOTOCOGRAPHY RECORDING FETAL MONEMENTS. THERE IS ACCELERATION IN FETAL HEART RATE WITH FETAL MOVEMENT. DOPPLER USG / COLOUR DOPPLER USG BLOOD FLOW THROUGH THE UMBILICAL VESSELS IS SEEN. BLOOD FLOW DECREASES IN PRE ECLAMPSIA AND IUGR.