session 1 Providing optimal care for maternal health Flashcards
Why do pregnant women need more iron during pregnancy? What are the complications?
Blood volume increases, requiring iron supplements to be prescribed when the women develops anaemia. Complications of iron supplements are that it can cause constipation.
What causes a drop in blood pressure for a pregnant women? What measures can correct this?
Enlarging urterus can put pressure in the vena cava (that returns blood to the heart) This decreases blood flow to the right side of the heart causing the BP to drop. Correcting this requires placing the women on her back or on her left side. (*Never place on her right side or her BP will drop)
What happens to a pregnant womens respiratory system and why are pregnant women more prone to actelactis?
Increase in resp volume, decrease in airway resistance and thoracic breathing results in fatique from using accessory muscles. If she gets a resp virus there is a greater chance of actelactis and fluid build up on the lung
Why do women suffer oedema of the feet during pregnancy?
The enlarging uterus puts pressure on the femoral vessels and decrease blood circulation back to the heart, causing oedema to the extremities.
How much does glomerular filtration increase during pregnancy? Why is urination more frequent in the first trimester compared to the second trimester?
Glomerula filtration increases 50%
In the first trimester the uterus pushes down on the bladder
In the second trimester the uterus becomes more of an abdominal organ
How will the 50 % increase in glomerular filtration affect a urinalysis?
The kidneys are working 50% harder and struggle to meet the demand of increase volume, therefore causing glucose to be present in the urine. If glucose is testing high it can be a sign of gestational diabetes
What are the common complaints associated with changes in the GI system? Why?
Gastric reflux, constipation, haemorroids and heartburn.
Caused by delayed gastric emptying,reduced peristalsis, displaced stomach/intestines, relaxed sphincter and prolonged emptying of the gall bladder.
What common complaints do pregnant women have from the changes to their muscoskeletal system?
Postural changes cause lower back pain and the siatica nerve can become pinched
What is melasma gravidarum?
Pigment changes on the face, going darker. Seen on the cheeks and forehead and sometimes referred to as the mask of pregnancy
What is the pregnant women at a heightened risk of getting with signs of increased metabolic rate, increased cortisol and increased insulin demands ( often the islets of langerhans are stressed to meet this demand)
Gestational diabetes
Identify the nutritional suppliments required by a pregnant women to maintain optimal health?
Folic Acid, Iron supplements, calcium, phospherus, magnesium, iodine, vitamin B12
What are some of the nutritional risks pregnant women should be aware of?
Limit caffeine - causes low birth weight and increase risk of miscarriage
listeria- no cheese (bacteria causes miscarriage)
salmonella - raw eggs, buffet food
toxoplasmas - raw meat, cured meat and fruit and vegetables that contain dirt - are unwashed
Mercury - limit fish consumption ( no shark)
Identify risk behaviours and teratogens that reduce optimal maternal and fetal health
Alcohol - malformation and birth defects in baby
Drug use - cocaine causes abrupto placenta
smoking - low birth weight
Medication
Domestic Violence
STI
What minimal information is gathered during a maternal assessment?
What trimester is the pregnant women in- this will impact the are and required screening
Is it the 1st pregnancy - if not a obstretric hx is required.
Immunisations?
Family Hx of problems?
Social Hx - healthy or risk taking behaviour.
what is the key components to taking an obstetric history
- what is the presenting complaint (what bought them to hospital)
- hx of presenting complaint ( there is often an overlap of the presenting complaint and the history of the current pregnancy)
- History of the current pregnancy ( should be considered by the different trimesters to date)
