PRENATAL CARE AND ITS IMPORTANCE

TOPIC: PRENATAL CARE AND ITS IMPORTANCE Prenatal care, also known as antenatal care is a type of preventive healthcare, with the goal of providing regular check-ups that allow doctors or midwives to treat and prevent potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy while promoting healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child. During check-ups, pregnant women will receive medical information over maternal physiological changes in pregnancy, biological changes, and prenatal nutrition including prenatal vitamins. Recommendations on management and healthy lifestyle changes are also made during regular check-ups. The availability of routine prenatal care, including prenatal screening and diagnosis, has played a part in reducing maternal death rates and miscarriages as well as birth defects, low birth weight, neonatal infections and other preventable health problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in 2015 around 830 women died every day from problems in pregnancy and childbirth. Only 5 of the women who died lived in high income countries, the rest of the women lived in low income countries. A study done took a look at the differences in preterm and low weight birth deliveries between Spanish and immigrant women to see how the difference of prenatal care received effected the mothers. The study was conducted between 1997 and 2008, looking at 21,708 women giving birth in a region of Spain. The results indicated that very preterm birth (VPTB) and very low birth weight (VLBW) were much more prevalent in immigrants than in the natives (Castelló et al., 2012). This study shows the importance of prenatal care and how prenatal care needs to become more universalized so that people of all origins can get proper care before pregnancy/birth (Castelló et al., 2012). The WHO recommends that pregnant women should all receive four antenatal visits to spot and treat problems and give immunizations. Although antenatal care is important for improving the health of the mother and baby, many women do not receive four visits. There are many ways of changing health systems to help women access antenatal care such as new health policies, educating health workers and health service re-organisation3. Community interventions to help people change their behavior can also play a part. Examples of these interventions are: media campaigns reaching many people, enabling communities to take control of their own health, informative-education-communication interventions or financial incentives. A review looking at these interventions found that one intervention helps improve the number of women receiving antenatal care. However interventions used together may reduce baby deaths in pregnancy and early life, lower numbers of low birth weight babies born and improve numbers of women receiving antenatal care. Traditional prenatal care in high income countries generally consists of: • monthly visits during the first two trimesters (from week 1–28) • fortnightly visits from 28th week to 36th week of pregnancy • weekly visits after 36th week until delivery (delivery at week 38–42) • Assessment of parental needs and family dynamic This traditional form of antenatal care has developed from the early 1900s and there is very little research to suggest it is the best way of giving antenatal care. Antenatal care can be costly and uses a lot of staff. The following paragraphs describe research looking at other forms of antenatal care which may reduce the burden on maternity services in all countries. Preconception and prenatal care can help prevent complications and inform women about important steps they can take to protect their infant and ensure a healthy pregnancy. With regular prenatal care women can: • Antenatal care can prevent complications. “A small minority of pregnant women develop complications such as hypertension and diabetes. Early diagnosis means they can be properly monitored and treated,” explains midwifery consultant, Dr Diana du Plessis. • Antenatal care provides caregivers with an opportunity to explain the importance of proper nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding to expecting moms. • Antenatal classes will help expecting parents to gain insight and get fact-based information on pregnancy, birthing options, breastfeeding and caring for a newborn baby so that they can make informed choices. • “Antenatal classes also give partners an opportunity to understand the whole process of pregnancy, birth and early parenting,” says Sister Lilian. • Reduce the risk of pregnancy complications. Following a healthy, safe diet; getting regular exercise as advised by a health care provider; and avoiding exposure to potentially harmful substances such as lead and radiation can help reduce the risk for problems during pregnancy and promote fetal health and development. • Controlling existing conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, is important to prevent serious complications and their effects. • Reduce the fetus's and infant's risk for complications. Tobacco smoke and alcohol use during pregnancy have been shown to increase the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. • Alcohol use also increases the risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which can cause a variety of problems such as abnormal facial features, having a small head, poor coordination, poor memory, intellectual disability, and problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones. • According to one recent study supported by the NIH, these and other long-term problems can occur even with low levels of prenatal alcohol exposure. In addition, taking 400 micrograms of folic acid daily reduces the risk for neural tube defects by 70%.2,9 Most prenatal vitamins contain the recommended 400 micrograms of folic acid as well as other vitamins that pregnant women and their developing fetus need. • Folic acid has been added to foods like cereals, breads, pasta, and other grain-based foods. Although a related form (called folate) is present in orange juice and leafy, green vegetables (such as kale and spinach), folate is not absorbed as well as folic acid. • Help ensure the medications women take are safe. Women should not take certain medications, including some acne treatments and dietary and herbal supplements, during pregnancy because they can harm the fetus.