Prenatal Health (exam)

Question 1

Three stages of prenatal development

Answer 1

Germinal
Embryonic
Foetal

Question 2

Conception

Answer 2

Occurs when a sperm enters an ovum (egg) to form on complete cell.

Question 3

Germinal stage of prenatal development

Timing

Answer 3

From conception until the end of the second week (implantation)

Question 4

Two examples of physical development of the germinal development

Answer 4

1. The egg goes under cell division.

2. The cells begins to differentiate which means that they begin to look different and perform different functions.

Question 5

Embryonic stage of prenatal development

Timing

Answer 5

From implantation until the end of the eighth week

Question 6

Two examples of physical development that occur in the embryonic stage

Answer 6

1. The blastocyst forms three layers that will later become organs and tissues:
   Layer 1. Neural tube, brain, backbone, spinal cord, skin, hair and nails
   Layer 2. Heart, circulatory system, muscles and sex organs
   Layer 3. Lungs, liver, bowel, bladder and intestines.
2. The placenta begins to form and this will be the organ that provides nutrients to the baby from the mother and also assists in the removal of wastes.

Question 7

The foetal stage of prenatal development

Timing

Answer 7

Begging of week nine until birth

Question 8

Physical development of the foetal stage of prenatal development

Answer 8

1. the organ systems develop more and begin to function. Organs such as lungs and the heart don’t achieve maximum function until birth.
2. the joints can bend and the webbed appearance of the feet begins to disappear.

Question 9

Medical conditions that can occur in pregnancy

Answer 9

Gestational diabetes

Hypertension/pre-eclampsia

Question 10

Gestational diabetes, definition

Answer 10

A form of diabetes that starts during pregnancy or is first diagnosed in pregnancy and results from the body’s impaired ability to metabolism blood glucose.
Can be diagnoses at 24 and 28 weeks
Once the baby is born, the mothers blood glucose levels return to normal.

Question 11

Determinants of gestational diabetes and hypertension

Answer 11

Behavioural 
Diet 
Exercise 
Biological 
Body weight 
Age 
Social 
Education and awareness of conditions 
Access to health professionals 
Physical environment 
Access to recreational facilities 
Physical access to health care facilities

Question 12

Define pre-eclampsia

Answer 12

A serious condition that occurs in the second half of pregnancy and is characterised by high blood pressure, proteins in urine and swelling
More common in the first pregnancy

Question 13

Infection that can occur in pregnancy

Answer 13

German measles

Rubella

Question 14

German measles

Effect on pregnant women

Answer 14

Complications: brain damage, low white blood cell count
Symptoms: sometimes no symptoms, cold like symptoms, red spotty and itchy rash on neck, swollen nodes on the back of the neck, mild temperature.

Question 15

Define German Measles

Answer 15

An infection that involves a pink-red rash that first appears on the face and spreads elsewhere on the body

Question 16

Effects of rubella on the unborn baby

Answer 16

• deafness
• eye defects
• smaller head
• cognitive abnormalities (80% chance if mother is diagnosed in first 12 weeks of pregnancy)
• restricted growth during pregnancy

Question 17

Methods of preventing infection of German measles

Answer 17

Immunisation for women before they become pregnant
Education about the effects of rubella on the unborn baby and the importance of immunisations.
Having regular check ups before and during pregnancy to ensure the woman is immunised to rubella.

Question 18

Define maternal morbidity

Answer 18

Refers to the ill-health experienced by women during their pregnancy or as a consequence of giving birth. Can be divided into four broad categories.
Serious morbidity
Medical conditions
Complications resulting from operative or non-operative interventions
Minor complications

Question 19

APGAR

Answer 19

Appearance - colour
Pulse -beats per minute (heart rate)
Grimace -reflex irritability
Activity -and muscle tone
Respiration -breathing rate and effort
Assesses a new born baby, scored on a scale of 0-2 with 2 being the best score out of a total of 10. Score of 8 or above is considered normal, a score under 7 indicates the neonate may need assistance with breathing, under 4 indicates a neonate needs life saving medical intervention. Tested twice typically, at one minute then five minutes after birth

Question 20

How can an APGAR score can be influenced

Answer 20

• amount of pain medication received during labour

- the neonate being born premature

Question 21

Adaptions that the neonate makes to adapt to life outside the womb

Answer 21

• temperature: once out of the womb, the baby can no longer be kept warm in the amniotic fluid and once delivered, this temperature will drop but will return to normal within the next few hours due to the fat stores that the baby built up while developing in the womb.
• Respiration: when in the womb, the foetus got its oxygen requirements and carbon dioxide removed by the placenta. Once out of the womb and the umbilical cord is cute, the lungs that have spent the last few weeks of pregnancy preparing for the neonates first breath, expand and allow the foetus to make its first breath.