Antenatal Care and Screening Flashcards
How can morning sickness be managed?
Sometimes requires rehydration therapies and steroids
How does pregnancy affect cardiac output?
- Increases by 30-50%
- Heart rate increase from 70-90bpm
- Palpitations are common
- At term blood flow to the uterus must exceed 1L per minute
Why does BP drop in the 2nd trimester?
- Expansion of the uteroplacental circulation
- A fall in systemic vascular resistance
- A reduction in blood viscosity
- A reduction in sensitivity to angiotensin
- BP usually returns to normal in the third trimester
How does pregnancy affect urine output?
- Increased urine output
- Renal plasma flow increases by 25-50%
- GFR increases by 50%
- Serum urea and creatinine decreases
Why are UTIs more common in pregnancy?
- There is an increase in urinary stasis (less chance of the bladder completely voiding)
- Hydronephrosis is physiological in the third trimester and makes pyelonephritis more common
- Can be associated with preterm labour so important to treat
What haematological changes occur during pregnancy?
- Physiological anaemia
- Plasma volume increases by about 50% and RBC mass by about 25%
- Drop in haemoglobin by dilution from 133-121g/L
- Iron requirements are increased by 1g during pregnancy
- WBC increase slightly to 9000-12,000/uL
- Platelet count falls by dilution
What respiratory changes occur during pregnancy?
Progesterone acts centrally to reduce CO2
- Increases tidal volume
- Increases respiratory rate
- Increases plasma pH
- O2 consumption increase by 20%
- Plasma PO2 is unchanged
- Hyperaemia of respiratory mucous membranes
What GI changes occur during pregnancy?
- Oesophageal peristalsis is reduced
- Gastric emptying sloes
- Cardiac sphincter relaxes
- GI motility is reduced due to increased progesterone and decreased motilin
Ideally, who should receive pre-pregnancy counselling?
All women
What are the top 5 causes of maternal death?
- Cardiac disease
- Sepsis
- Thrombosis
- Neurological
- Psychiatric
What is involved in pre-pregnancy counselling?
- Improve diet
- Optimise BMI
- Reduce alcohol intake
- Smoking cessation
- Folic acid
- Confirm immunity to rubella
How should folic acid be taken?
- 400mcg
- Advised to start 3 months before conception
- Can significantly reduce the risk of neural tube defects
What is involved inn pre-pregnancy counselling for known medical problems?
- Optimise maternal health
- Psychiatric health is important
- Stop/Change any unsuitable drugs
- Advise regarding complications associated with maternal medical problems
- Occasionally advise against pregnancy
What maternal previous pregnancy problems should be addressed in pre-pregnancy counselling?
- Counsel regarding risk of recurrence
- Caesarean Section
- DVT
- Pre-eclampsia (aspirin)
What actions can reduce maternal complications?
- Thromboprophylaxis
- Low dose aspirin
What foetal previous pregnancy problems should be addressed in pre-pregnancy counselling?
Counsel regarding risk of recurrence
- Pre-term delivery
- Intrauterine growth restriction
- Foetal abnormality
What actions can reduce foetal complications?
- Treatment of infection
- High dose folic acid
- Low dose aspirin