Pregnancy

Question 1

Conceptus
Embryo
Foetus
Infant

Answer 1

Conceptus = Everything resulting from the fertilised egg
Embryo = The baby up to week 8 development
Foetus = The baby for the rest of pregnancy
Infant = Less precise, normally applied after delivery

Question 2

Gestational Age (GA)

Answer 2

The convention is that pregnancy is counted from the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP), with other events dated from this time.

Question 3

If a pregnancy completes the first trimester (13 weeks), what is the significance of this?

Answer 3

it is very likely to last until close to the expected delivery time (term, 39-40 weeks)

Question 4

Spontaneous loss of the pregnancy during the first trimester

Answer 4

is relatively common

Question 5

The end of which trimester is the absolute limit of infant survival in the absence of modern neonatal intensive care?
What about with modern neonatal intensive care?

Answer 5

The end of second trimester (26-27 weeks).

With modern neonatal intensive care, the absolute limit is about 22 weeks of pregnancy, and 50% survival at
about 25 weeks

Question 6

The terminology ‘term’ covers what gestational age range?

Deliveries either side of these limits are called what respectively?

Answer 6

The terminology ‘term’ covers gestational ages from 37 - 41 weeks of gestation

Deliveries either side of these limits being ‘preterm’ or ‘post-term’ respectively

Question 7

State the Maternal Physiological Changes in Pregnancy

Answer 7

• Increased weight
• Increased hormone levels / altered endocrine system
• Increased blood clotting tendency (greatest at term); thought to protect against losing too much blood at delivery
• Decreased blood pressure
• Increased basal body temperature
• Increased breast size
• Increased vaginal mucus production
• Increased nausea and vomiting (‘morning sickness’)
• Altered brain function
• Altered fluid balance and urination frequency
• Altered emotional state
• Altered joints
• Altered immune system

Question 8

Describe the plasma hormone changes during pregnancy

Answer 8

Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) peaks in the first trimester, and declines thereafter; hCG is also
produced by the placenta

The other main hormones (progesterone and oestrogen) ↑ as pregnancy progresses => suppress LH and FSH..
Note that progesterone is the key hormone in allowing the pregnancy to continue.