Antenatal Care & Screening Flashcards
What five general lifestyle advice to we give pregnant women?
Folic Acid Supplements
Vitamin D Supplements
Alcohol Cessation
Smoking Cessation
Medication Alteration
How long should folic acid supplements ideally be taken prior to pregnancy?
Three months
Why do we promote pregnant patients taking folic acid supplements?
They decrease the risk of the baby developing neural tube defects
What dose of folic acid supplements are recommended?
400mcg daily
In what three patient groups is a dose of folic acid 5mg daily recommended?
Those who have a BMI > 30
Those who take valproate for epilepsy
Those who have had a previous child with spina bifida
What dose of vitamin D supplements is recommended in pregnant patients?
A dose of 10mcg daily throughout the whole pregnancy
Why is alcohol cessation recommended to pregnant patients?
Alcohol can cross the placenta, enter the foetus, and disrupt fetal development
Is there a safe level of alcohol in pregnancy?
No
Women are encouraged not to drink at all
What are the three complications of alcohol during pregnancy?
Miscarriage
Preterm Delivery
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
What are the seven clinical features of fetal alcohol syndrome?
Microcephaly
Smooth Flat Philtrum
Short Palpebral Fissure
Thin Upper Lip
Learning Disability
Hearing & Vision Problems
Cerebral Palsy
What are the six complications that can arise due to smoking during pregnancy?
Fetal Growth Restriction
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
Miscarriage
Stillbirth
Preterm Delivery
Pre-Eclampsia
What is the first pregnancy appointment called? When does it take place?
Booking clinic
10 weeks gestation
What four investigations take place at the booking clinic?
Antenatal Examination
Bloods
Blood Pressure
Urinalysis
What two measurements are taken during the antenatal examination in the booking clinic?
Symphyseal Fundal Height (SFH)
Fetal Presentation
What is the SFH?
This is the distance between the pubic symphysis to the fundus of the uterus
What is the SFH used to measure?
This measurement is then plotted on a chart allowing us to measure the growth of the foetus and whether this is normal or not
In what two circumstances can the SFH measurement not be obtained?
High BMI
Uterine fibroids
Why is fetal presentation important?
If abnormal, it can have implications for delivery
What is offered when the baby remains in a breech presentation after 36 weeks?
External cephalic aversion
What is external cephalic aversion?
This is a procedure used to turn a fetus from a breech position into a vertex position before labour begins
What happens if an external cephalic version fails?
The baby will be delivered by elective c-section
What seven blood tests taken during the booking clinic?
FBC
Blood Group
Antibodies
Rhesus D Status
Alpha Fetoprotein
Infectious Disease Screening
Inherited Blood Disorder (Haemoglobinopathy) Screening
Why is a FBC conducted during the booking clinic?
To look for anaemia
What alpha fetoprotein level at the booking clinic indicates further investigation?
> 2MoM
What is rhesus?
It refers to various types of rhesus antigens on the surface of red blood cells
What is the most relevant antigen within the rhesus blood group system?
Rhesus-D antigen
How do we manage pregnant women who are rhesus-D positive?
There is no need for any additional treatment during pregnancy
Explain why rhesus-D negative pregnant women need to be managed
There is a possibility that her child will be rhesus positive.
It is likely that at some point during the pregnancy that the blood from the baby will find a way into the mother’s bloodstream.
When this happens, the baby’s red blood cells display the rhesus-D antigen.
The mother’s immune system will recognise these antigens as foreign and produce antibodies against them.
The mother has then become sensitised to rhesus-D antigens.
This sensitisation process doesn’t cause problems during the first pregnancy.
However, in subsequent pregnancies, the mother’s rhesus-D antibodies can cross the placenta into the fetus.
If that fetus is rhesus-D positive, these antibodies attach themselves to the red blood cells of the fetus and causes the immune system of the fetus to attack them.
The red blood cell destruction (haemolysis) caused by the antibodies of the mother is called haemolytic disease of the newborn.
How do we manage rhesus-D negative women during pregnancy?
All women are given intramuscular anti-D injections
How does anti-D medication work to prevent sensitisation?
It works by attaching to the rhesus-D antigens on the fetal red blood cells in the mother’s circulation, causing them to be destroyed
This prevents the mother’s immune system recognising the antigen and creating its own antibodies to the antigen
When do we give anti-d injections - three circumstances?
28 weeks’ gestation
Sensitisation events
At birth (if the baby’s blood group is found to be rhesus-positive)
What is the Kleihauer test?
It checks how much fetal blood has passed into the mother’s blood during a sensitisation event
When is the Kleihauer test conducted? Why?
It is used after any sensitising event past 20 weeks’ gestation
To assess whether further doses of anti-D are required
How is the Kleihauer test conducted?
This test involves adding acid to a sample of the mother’s blood
Fetal haemoglobin is naturally more resistant to acid, therefore it persists in response to the added acid, whilst the mother’s haemoglobin is destroyed
The number of cells still containing haemoglobin can then be calculated
What three infectious diseases are screened during the booking clinic? In which women do we screen these diseases?
Hepatitis B
HIV
Syphilis
This is part of the routine antenatal screening, which is recommended for every pregnancy
What two inherited blood disorders are screened during the booking clinic? In which women do we screen these diseases?
Sickle cell disease - only those that are at high risk are screened
Thalassaemia -all pregnant women are offered screening