One of the primary prevention methods in maternal health is the utilization of prenatal care. During the provision of prenatal care, a healthcare provider counsels and discusses information with the expecting mother. Conversations about smoking and alcohol use, what to expect during pregnancy, when to seek help, and limitations on activities are put in place (Kirkham, Harris, & Grzybowski, 2005). Discussions about possible complications and potential warning signs are also an important part of prenatal education. Providing supplements, such as, calcium (1,000 to 1,300 mg per day), folic acid (0.4 to 0.8 mg), and iron (30 mg per day) to an expecting mother is also an important part of primary prevention, as they aid in the fight against blood pressure disorders, anemias, and defects in the unborn child (Kirkham, Harris, & Grzybowski, 2005). Additionally, the vaccination of expecting mothers has been shown to keep mothers and the unborn child healthy during pregnancy. Certain vaccinations, such as Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) and inactivated influenza vaccinations, have been shown to be protective to the fetus, as the mother’s antibodies against the disease are transferred to the unborn child (Esposito et al., 2012).
2.2 Secondary Prevention
Prenatal care also includes many types of secondary prevention methods for expecting mothers. Keeping records of an expecting mother’s weight and blood pressure throughout pregnancy to make sure they are within the recommended range helps catch issues early. The expecting mother can have her blood tested to check for certain genetic markers that would detect certain diseases in the fetus to include, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and tay-sachs disease (Kirkham, Harris, & ...
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...ther it is by telephone or some sort of computer based system.
Cost will be a barrier to many of the recommendations made. If the government is serious about lowering the maternal mortality rate and increasing maternal health status, they will have to allocate some funds to the cause. If the government creates regulatory and accreditation agencies to enforce new referral policies and transportation issues, they can then charge healthcare facilities fees for not abiding to the policies and generate income that way. If the facilities meet the new high standards set out by the government, they can then pay to become accredited, which will also generate income.
Non-governmental organizations should take an active role in the social marketing campaigns and educational strategies in local communities, as this will help ease some of the burden from the government.
These women could anticipate delays in normal growth and development for the fetus. The exact cause of post term pregnancy is unknown. The mother experiencing post term pregnancy is at risk for trauma, hemorrhage, infection, and labor abnormalities (Ward et al., 2016, p. 543). Labor induction prior to 42 weeks’ gestation prevents MAS and other complications. A biophysical profile measuring the heart rate, breathing and body movements, tone, and the amniotic fluid volume is used to monitor the fetus for intrapartum fetal stress that could cause passage of meconium. Diabetic woman is at high risk for preeclampsia or eclampsia, infection, hydramnios, postpartum hemorrhage, and cesarean birth (Ward et al., 2016, p. 383). In addition, fetal macrosomia prolongs labor due to shoulder dystocia. The glucose challenge test, and the 3- hour OGTT is used for gestational diabetes screening, done after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Abnormalities of the respiratory system as explained earlier are the most concerning complication of MAS, needing immediate
To begin this study there were a total of 349,043 births but due to missing information of supplement use and the amount of multiple births only 280,127 where used for obtaining information. The study was conducted to show any relationship between the use of multivitamin and folic acid with placental abruption. The findings were quite intriguing. Compared with no use, vitamin supplement use was connected with a 26% decreased risk of abruption with the strongest reduction being when folic acid and a multivitamin were used in tandem followed by a multivitamin alone then by folic acid alone. With the data collected it suggest that folic acid and other vitamin use during pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk of placental
second, prenatal testing, is a testing of a fetus at risk for the disease. The
While I had never paid much attention to expectant mothers in the past, this assignment made me a little more intrigued about prenatal development. In the beginning, it seemed impossible to properly report on prenatal development from just an observation stand point. Not being able to view the baby through a mother's exterior was my initial concern. However, I began to look around at pregnant mother's, carry children in this prenatal stage and took notes about their behaviors.
It is crucial for a woman to maintain a good health throughout the whole pregnancy stage. Not only for her sake but also for the well-being of the yet to be born baby. Anything that is consumed during a pregnancy will affect both the mother and the growing fetus (child). Once a woman gets pregnant it is recommended that she changes her eating habits, exercise, the regular visit to the doctor office and make the changes that are needed for a healthy pregnancy. Most importantly, a pregnant woman should always avoid substances abuse because of the threat that they pose.
It is a recognised certainty that nutrition is a fundamental requirement to sustain a healthy lifestyle and is also extremely valuable when recovering from an illness or an injury. Nutrients are absorbed in the body and this physiological process is essential for homeostasis and ensuring equilibrium is sustained within the body as without enough food and drink the body will not function correctly (Edwards & Thomas, 2009). This essay will provide information on folic acid and its properties, its role and the midwife’s role and responsibility in informing women in the early stages of pregnancy and the importance that it has.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [Office on Women’s Health] (2009), “Babies of mothers who do not get prenatal care are three times more likely to have a low birthweight and five times more likely to die than those born to mothers who do get care” (p. 1). Prenatal care in the U.S. began as a preventive measure against preeclampsia, which at the time included program visits by physicians who conducted physicals, history, and risk assessments. Over the years, prenatal care has changed its focus to low birthweight and other preventive illnesses in an attempt to reduce the rate of infant mortality. Increased use of prenatal care has shown a decline in the rates of birthweight-related mortality and other preventable medical diseases such as post-partum depression and infant injuries.
...ce of mortality, education can also be given to them about healthy child development and what to expect when they deliver their child. This can help reduce the amount of children becoming ill. A program such as the one described can have a positive impact and has the potential of saving millions of lives.
ACOG (2015) advises the intake of vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin A, iron, omega-3 and calcium during pregnancy. Fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tile fish should be consumed during pregnancy due to high mercury contents; tuna fish should be limited to 6 ounces per week to help prevent birth defect. The pregnant patient should avoid food that maybe contaminated with literiosis such as unpasteurized milk, cold processed meats, refrigerated smoked seafood, raw or undercooked eggs, seafood, and meat (ACOG, 2015). There are many challenges that might keep the pregnant client from meeting her nutritional needs in regard to finance socioeconomic. The financial challenge lies in the inability to afford healthy food and vitamins. Moreover, the financially disadvantaged woman might lack in fund to seek prenatal care where she could be educated about her nutritional needs as a pregnant woman. Therefore, she might not know otherwise. Furthermore, there clients who
Pasquariello, P. S., Jr. (Ed.). (1999). Book of pregnancy and child care. New York City, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Pregnancy is a time of increased nutrient and energy needs in order to support the growth and development of the foetus.[1] During this stage there is an increased need for several vitamins and minerals, such as folate and iron. Also of importance is adequate calcium intake and avoidance of excessive mercury (some fish e.g. flake) and vitamin A(e.g. liver products) and alcohol as well as potential sources of listeria (e.g. soft cheeses and cold/undercooked meat) as they can be harmful to the developing foetus.[1, 2, 5] In order to highlight these required nutritional intake changes during pregnancy and the consequential changes to dietary behaviours I attempted to adopt a four day diet that a pregnant woman may follow in relation to the recommendations
• You may have tests of your blood pressure and kidney function after giving birth.
This essay covers information over the course of prenatal development. I will also discuss teratology and hazards to the prenatal development, those such as, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and opioids. Additionally, I will discuss how maternal factors such as maternal diet and nutrition, maternal age, emotional states and stress, and paternal factors, may influence prenatal development.
The most important indicators of a community’s overall health are maternal, infant and child health. It deals with the health of women of childbearing age from pre-pregnancy, labor, delivery and the postpartum period and the health of the child prior to birth up the adolescence (McKenzie & Pinger, 2015, p.192). The health data that is collected towards maternal, infant and child health are used to see the effectiveness of disease prevention and health promotion services in a community. Prenatal health care is one of the fundamentals of a safe pregnancy. An infant’s health mostly depends on the mother. A child’s during the ages of one to nine are very important to the child’s development and the future (McKenzie & Pinger, 2015, p.217). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinating children against most vaccine-preventable diseases early in life. One of the community programs for Women, Infants and Children are maternal and child health bureau, which is in charge with the responsibility for promoting and improving the health of our nations mothers and children. Another is woman, infants and children program, which is a clinic-based program designed to provide a variety of nutritional health related goods and services to pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants up to
“ Being a Motherhood is a choice you make every day, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong.” MMMMM. Being mother is one of the most blessed and the most challenging job in the world. Giving birth to a new life and making it walk through the new world holding its hands showing a good trail makes a mother victorious in her life. In this modern world women’s attitude against pregnancy and being a mother is changing accordingly. There occurs so many miscarriages and maternal death during the pregnancy. A woman should be physically, and more over mentally set to have a baby in her womb. Considering the biological fitness of health it’s said that safer age to be get pregnant is in between 20 to 29. Early pregnancy in the teenage age of 13 to 20 and the delayed motherhood age after 35 is challenging to the health of mother as well as the birth of the child causing currently social issues India.