Antenatal Care and Screening Flashcards
In normal antenatal management, the initial booking appointment should be carried out ideally by when?
10 weeks
At the booking visit, a thorough history should be taken, specifically touching on what things?
Medical history, menstrual history, any past obstetric history, family and social history, as well as psychiatric history if not mentioned in medical
At the booking visit, what should you check with regards to psychiatric history?
If there are any present or past psychiatric conditions. Also ask about mood to screen for depression.
What examinations of the woman should be performed at the booking visit?
Height and weight to calculate BMI, blood pressure, cardio exam and also abdominal exam
The fundus of a pregnant uterus is usually palpable by when for a singleton pregnancy?
12 weeks
Explain Naegele’s rule to calculate estimated due date?
This predicts the estimated due date based on the woman’s last period. Add on 9 months and 7 days (280 days) from the first day of the last period to arrive at the due date.
What defines a baby born at term? What percentage of babies are born within this time?
37-42 weeks / 90%
What percentage of babies are born on their due date? What percentage are born a week either way of this date?
4% / 60%
What investigations relating to blood are screened for at a booking appointment?
Hb for anaemia / blood group, rhesus status and atypical antibody screen to identify Rh- women
What infections are screened for via blood tests at the booking appointment?
HIV, syphilis, Hep B/C
At a booking appointment, it is important to test (via a blood test) a woman’s immunity status to what?
Rubella
If HIV testing is refused at booking appointment, when can it be offered again?
28 weeks
Urinalysis is always done at a booking appointment. What type of sample should be taken? What is this to check for?
Mid-stream sample of urine / culture and sensitivity for UTI or asymptomatic bacteriuria, also checking for proteinuria for pre-eclampsia and also for diabetes
At the booking appointment, a follow-up ultrasound should be organised for roughly when in the pregnancy?
11-14 weeks
The initial ultrasound is used to do what 5 things?
Confirm viability of pregnancy / confirm singleton or multiple pregnancy / estimate gestational age / detect any major structural abnormalities / Down’s screening if requested
What factor on ultrasound is used to estimate gestational age if a) < 13 weeks? b) 13+ weeks?
a) Crown-rump length b) head circumference
What things should always be asked about in a history at every antenatal appointment?
Physical and mental health, foetal movements
What examinations/investigations should be done at every antenatal appointment? What is this screening for?
BP and urinalysis for proteinuria to screen for pre-eclampsia
What examination is done at every antenatal appointment from 24 weeks onwards? What is this for?
Symphysial-fundal height, to assess for normal foetal growth
When is the anomaly scan performed? What is this used for?
18 - 20+6 weeks / used to screen for foetal structural abnormalities e.g. cardiac abnormalities, neural tube defects to reduce perinatal morbidity/mortality and pick up conditions amenable to neonatal surgery
How good is the anomaly scan at picking up Down’s syndrome?
50% of babies with DS will have a normal anomaly scan
Major structural abnormalities occur in what percent of pregnancies? These usually occur in who? Because of this, the NHS foetal anomaly screening programme guidelines state what?
2-3%, mainly in low-risk women. It states that all pregnant women should be offered an anomaly scan at 18-20+6 weeks by a midwife or clinician at first contact or booking appointment
NICE recommends that all women should be offered a screening test for what condition as part of their routine antenatal care?
Down’s syndrome
What should occur before Down’s syndrome screening?
Couples should be given time to make a decision about whether they want the screening or not. They should be counselled to think about how a positive result would affect their management of the pregnancy - if they would not consider termination they may choose not to have the screening at all
What aspect of the combined test for Down’s syndrome should be performed first? When should this be done? What things must be clarified here?
Ultrasound scan, at 11-14 weeks. This is used to establish gestation and also to measure nuchal translucency
What is a normal crown rump length between 11-14 weeks?
45-80mm