Antenatal Care Flashcards
What is perinatal mortality rate?
Sum of stillbirths and early neonatal deaths per 1,000 total births
(Early neonatal death = 7 days, neonatal death = 28 days)
2016 in Ireland: 5.8 per 1,000 total births
What is maternal mortality rate?
The number of direct and indirect maternal deaths per 100, 000 maternities
6.7 per 100,000 maternities
What is ANC?
A system of medical care that aims to assess and reduce risk of harm to the pregnant mother and the foetus.
ANC is all about risk
What are the aims of ANC?
Pre-existing maternal disorders
Maternal complications of pregnancy
Foetal complications of pregnancy
Detect congenital foetal problems
Circumstances of delivery
Educate and Advise
What preconception care is given to all? (6)
- Discuss previous pregnancies
- Folic acid – 0.4mg/day (NTD) optimally threes month before conception and first trimester
- Rubella status +/- immunisation
- Advise re smoking, drugs, alcohol
- Opportunistic promotion: Cervical smear
What preconception care is given to some?
Optimise medical conditions – diabetes, epilepsy, hypothyroidism, obesity, medications
? Preconception clinics
Higher folic acid in some 5mg
Who gets the higher folic acid of 5mg in preconception care? (7)
- DM
- Obesity
- previous NTD (or family history)
- Certain medications: anti-epileptics
- Coeliac Disease
- Twin pregnancy
- Sickle cell disease
What are the symptoms of early pregnancy?
Amenorrhoea
Urinary symptoms
Breast symptoms
Nausea and vomiting
Tiredness
How is pregnancy approached at the start?
Confirmation of pregnancy with GP
Pregnancy test
Look at antenatal risk
Advice (including food):
Refer
What are the different forms of ANC delivery?
Combined
Hospital
Mid-wife led
How does the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme differ from the NICE guidelines?
GP
Initial examination, if possible before <12 weeks
A further 5-6 examinations during the pregnancy
If significant illness, e.g. Diabetes up to 5 additional visits to the GP may be provided.
Materinty Unit
Booking visit before 20weeks
Further 4-5 visits
Alternated with visits to GP
From 20 weeks:
Every 4 weeks to 28 weeks
Then every 2 weeks to 36 wks
Then weekly til delivery.
What is the maternity and infant care scheme schedule of visits?
When is the hospital booking visit?
~ 12-16 weeks
What can be determined at booking visit through the woman’s history?
Age
Women <17 and > 35 have increased risk of obstetric and medical complications
History of present pregnancy
LMP, cycle length-> EDD
problems
Past Obs history
pre-term labour, IUGR,still birth, APH, PPH, congenital anomalies, pre-eclampsia, Gestational Diabetes
Past Gynae History
Subfertility: ? Assisted conception
previous surgery,
Past Medical history
Hypertension, DM, Hypothyroidism, Autoimmune disease, Hbopathy, cardiac, renal, thromboembolic, psychiatric.
Medications
Adjust to safer options
Folic acid
Vitamin D
Family history:
GD, HTN, thromboembolic, autoimmune disease, pre-eclampsia
Social history: cigs, C2H5, drugs. Nb domestic violence.
What should be checked on general examination?
BMI
BP
Urine
(Resp, cardiovascular, breast vv)
What abdominal exam should be done?
Inspection
Masses and tenderness
Fundus location (not SFH)
Foetal heart beat on doppler
No VE routinely
When can a woman have a smear postnatally?
3 months postnatal
What investigations should be done at booking visit? (4)
- FBC
- Group and antibody screen
- Serology for HIV, hepatitis b/c, syphilis, rubella
(+/- varicella serology –yes in Sligo, not all locations) - Urine microscopy and culture
What are the reasons behind some of the booking visit investigations?
What u/s is done at 10-13 weeks? And what 4 things can it tell us?
Dating scan/Booking scan (10-13wk)
- Viable Pregnancy
- Gestational Age (CRL)
- Major Anomalies
- Multiple Pregnancy
What can be checked for on u/s to determine if the child may have a chromosomal abnormality?
Nucheal translucency
What should be asked as part of the routine antenatal visit?
Review history, reassess risk, physical/mental state
‘Minor’ conditions
-tiredness
-Heartburn
-Abdominal pain
-Constipation
-Itching
-pelvic girdle pain (SPD)
-backache
-vaginitis
-leg cramps
-ankle oedema
-carpal tunnel syndrome
Foetal Movements: kick charts – at least 10 in 12hours > 30wks
What tests are done routinely in the antenatal visit?
What ultrasound is at 20 weeks (18-22)?
Anomaly scan
What does the anomaly scan pick up? (4+)
-CNS abnormalities
-Cardiac defects
-Chest defects
-GI defects
-Abdominal wall defects
-Urogenital defects
-Skeletal defects
- Dating : BPD/HC
- Placental site
- Liquor volume
What other things may a pregnant mother get during her antenatal care? (Vaccines? Any other products?)
28 weeks – Anti-D to Rh-ve mothers
Pertussis vaccination 16-36 weeks (DTAP)
Flu vaccine (from Sept)
COVID 19 vaccination (mRNA vaccination at any stage of pregnancy for primary vaccination and first booster dose – second booster dose after 16 weeks)
How is the foetus assessed antenatal?
Clinical assessment
CTG
Ultrasound
How is fetal wellbeing assessed clinically?
Clinical observations FETAL MOVEMENTS:
- Perceived from 18 to 20 weeks
- Sleep cycles usually <40 mins rarely up to 90mins
- Increase in activity from 32 weeks
- Movement don’t stop near term but can change in nature
- Lie down , ideally evenings, Count to 10 over 12 hours
- If women perceive a change in movement should prompt CTG
No evidence to recommend formal fetal movement monitoring in low risk pregnancy. Some evidence in high risk – ‘count to 10’ kick charts
BP, Urine
When is SFH measured from?
24 weeks
- if 2cm < the expected refer for USS
What does a CTG(cardiotocograph) do?
Records foetal HR and uterine contractions
What are the reasons of use for a fetal scalp electrode? (2)
Multiple pregnancies
Obesity