Lecture 9- Pregnancy Flashcards
After embryo is totally submerged into the endometrium, cytotrophoblasts bathe embryo and blood and then start to __________. (HINT: Finger-like projections that are used to gather glucose and oxygen for the embryo)
extend through syncytial trophoblasts, making chorionic villi.
What is the function of chronic villi?
They have finger-like forms so that they can grab oxygen and glucose and feed it to the embryo.
What is the placenta?
- Made up of chrionic villi, areas filled with blood and maternal blood vessels. This becomes the interface where the embryo gets all the oxygen and glucose.
- Also uses the placenta interface to dump its waste.
- Important to note: circulatory system of embryo/fetus is seperate from the mother.
What can get through the embryo’s placenta?
IgG, alchol, cocaine, opioids. IgG THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE TO TAKE NOTE OF.
igG are antibodies that look for Rh (protein on blood cells) and kill them.
SCENERIO:
Mom has Rh- (She doesn’t have Rh on her red blood cells) and is carrying her first child that has Rh.
- Should there be concern about Rh factor for the mother? Concern for the embryo/fetus?
- What (if anything) should be done?
- Could you get information about Rh factor from the father?
- Should anything be done for future pregnancies?
- There should be no concern unless there was a tear in the placenta or in the mom’s artery. IF there was a tear, the embryo would send Rh blood cell in the mothers artery–→ mom’s antibodies recognize that there is an antigen(embryo’s Rh) and releases igG to kill Rh.–→ Now since IgG is out, it goes from mom’s artery to the child’s embryo and IgG starts killing all the Rh Red blood cells. Now the child is anemic and suffers brain damage (due to bilirubin). This affect would be known as a rhesus disease.
- Nothing, because there is not a tear in the placenta and we know that mom and child’s blood is not mixing.
- Yes you could. If you are Rh- that means that both your mom and your dad are Rh-. You will be Rh+ if one of your parents are Rh+.
- Take precautions.
Side note: Almost a guarntee of mixing child and mother’s blood during labory and delivery of first born.
How to treat rhesus disease:
Use RhoGAM. to bind to the fetus Rh RBC’s before the mother’s IgG can recognize them. Since RhoGAM is binded to fetus Rh RBC’s the mother’s IgG won’t kill the fetus Rh RBC’s.
When is it considered a embryo and when is it considered a fetus?
Embryo= Up to end of week 8 of pregnancy
Fetus= week 9 to parturition
Fetal Disorderes aka teratorgens.
Teratorgens are anything that causes problems in fetal growth or development.
What are some teratorgens?
- Certain viruses and bacteria
- Environmental pollutants
- Drugs: examples–→ thalidomide
What is a Ectopic pregnancy?
It is when a blastocyst implants on the reproductive system.
1% of U.S. pregnancies.
Why are ectopic pregnancies dangerous?
Because there is no space for the embryo to grow→ which leads to rupture and eventually death.
What is a miscarriage?
Loss of embryo/fetus at any stage of pregnancy.
Maternal complications: Preeclampsia
What is preeclampsia?
Believed to be due to inadequate blood to to umbilical cord/fetus.
Believed to be result of Natural killer cells and cytotrophoblasts not opening the spiral arteries wide enough for proper blood flow.
Symptoms of preeclampsia
- Preeclampsia causes high blood pressure which leads to proteinuria(more proteins in the urine); edema (swelling)
- Can progress to cause convulsions, coma, death
Preeclampsia makes up 7% of U.S. pregnancies
Maternal complications: Placenta previa
What is placenta previa?
It is when the placenta covers the cervix, thus blocking the main exit for the fetus.
Delivered through Caesarean section
Maternal nutrition
Good nutrients for mothers to intake for the fetus.
- Follic acid: required for proper closure of neural tube
- Iron (lots of new RBC’s) and Calcium (lots of new bones)
