Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy Flashcards
Who is the man behind the systematic reviews of all relevant RCTs of health care?
Archie Cochrane
In pre-pregnancy, why is body fat important
body fat is an important source of oestrogen required for egg maturation
- influences oestrogen metabolism
Define fertility:
capacity of a women to produce normal ovum periodically and of a man to produce normal sperm, the ability to reproduce
Define conception:
the union of male sperm and female ovum; fertilisation
define placenta:
organ that develops inside uterus in early pregnancy, through which the foetus receives nutrients and oxygen and returns carbon dioxide and other waste products to be excreted
What habits must a women establish prior to pregnancy?
- Maintain healthy body weight
- Adequate/balanced diet
- Be physically active
- Manage chronic conditions
- Avoid harmful influences
In terms of body weight prior to pregnancy, what happens in excess or low body fat?
excess = disrupts menstrual regularity and ovarian hormone productions
low = higher pituitary hormone control over ovulation
In terms of body weight prior to pregnancy, what happens if the men are overweight/obese?
low sperm counts, hormonal changes would reduce fertility
What happens once the visceral hindbrain detects info regarding fuel availability?
sends indirect and direct projections to regions of forebrain playing important roles in regulation of energy balance + reproductive function
What results from ingestion of harmful substances prior to pregnancy?
- cause abnormalities
- alter gene expression
- interfere with fertility
Why is there an issue of high retinol intake?
intake during first trimester of pregnancy, there’s higher incidence of babies with birth defects. teratogenic effects
What are the advises given to pre-conceptual/pregnant women regarding intakes?
- no supplements containing retinol
- don’t eat liver (100g liver)
- carotene-containing foods allowed freely
What are the effects of zinc deficiency prior to pregnancy?
- congenital/foetal malformations
- linked with sperm viability
- contraceptive pill decreases circulating zinc (and folate, Vit. B6)
Can infection and inflammation decrease plasma zinc?
yes
What are the key structures developed in early pregnancy?
- Placenta in uterus
- Amniotic sac
- Umbilical cord
What is the amniotic sac?
fluid-filled ballon-like structure, houses the fetus
What is the umbilical cord?
rope-like structure containing fetal blood vessels that extends through fetus’ belly button (aka umbilicus) to placenta
What is the placenta?
- metabolically active (by 10th week of gestation)
- interwoven maternal and foetal blood vessels
- exchange nutrients, oxygen, waste products
What general functions does the placenta perform?
- respiratory
- absorptive
- excretory
What are the steps from zygote to a new born infant?
- Newly fertilised ovum, zygote. Cells rapidly divide in less than a week, ready for implantation
- Placenta develops, provide nutrient for embryo 5 weeks after fertilisation
- Fetus is just over an inch long, 11 weeks after development
- Newborn infant after 9 months, 20 times longer, 50 times heavier
What happens in weeks 0 to 8?
fertilised egg moves slowly along fallopian tube after 3 weeks, towards womb for development of major organs
What happens from weeks 9 to 12?
- formation
- the heart fully forms
- bones harden but skull bones stay soft
How many beats per minute is the fetus heart rate at around 9-12 weeks?
180 beats/min
Why do the skull bones stay soft around 9-12 weeks?
separated to make the journey through birth canal easier
When are the critical periods of the fetal development?
during the early period and rapid cell division
- cellular activities can occur only at these times
What happens if cell division and number are limited during critical period
full recovery not possible
What does the neural tube structure eventual become?
brain and spinal cord
What days of gestation is the critical period for neural tube development?
17 to 30 days
What are the types of neural tube defects?
- Anencephaly
- Encephalocele
- Spina bifida
- Damage to nerves and muscles
What is anencephaly?
- brain missing or fails to develop
- pregnancies affected often end in miscarriage
- infants born die shortly after death
What is encephalocele?
protrusion of the brain
what is spina bifida?
incomplete closure of the spinal cord and bony encasement
What might be the cause of neural tube defects (NTDs)?
diet (folic acid supplementation would prevent NTDs)
What factors make NTDs more likely?
- previous pregnancy affected by NTD
- maternal diabetes (type 1) OR obesity
- maternal use of antiseizure medications
- exposure to high temperatures early in pregnancy
- race/ethnicity (more common among whites/Hispanics)
- low socioeconomic status
How much folate supplementation is recommended daily?
0.4g
If a women had an infant with NTD, what is the recommended intake daily?
5mg/day (10x larger)
High doses of folate might mask symptoms of?
pernicious anaemia of vit. B12 deficiency (so anything about 1mg folate requires B12 prescription)