1. Be Good To Your Baby Before it is Born!
Chapter 5
Prenatal Care

2. Medical Professionals
Obstetrician (OB)- Doctors who specialize in pregnancy and birth
Gynecologist (GYN) – specializes in female anatomy
Many are OBGYN’s who
specialize in both
Note – a GYN can’t deliver
A baby

3. Important!!!
A woman should stop drinking, smoking, etc. before she tries to get pregnant.
She should also start taking a prenatal vitamin before she tries to get pregnant
A woman will not know she is pregnant right away, so she should live a healthy lifestyle that is best for the baby!
As soon as she finds out she is pregnant, she should call the doctor!

4. 1st Check Up Check Medical history
Blood pressure, pulse, initial weight
Pelvic measurement
Urine analysis
Blood test
blood type
anemia: condition caused by lack of iron, which results in poor appetite, tiredness, and weakness
This is the longest check-up. The father should go to the visit too!

5. How Often? 1st six months – once a month
7th & 8th month – twice a month
9th month- once a week or more

6. Discussion!!!
What is the best age to have a baby?
When is it safest?

7. Problems in Prenatal Development

8. What is a premature baby?
Baby that is born before their development is complete
Pregnancy was less than 36 weeks
Often weigh less than 5 ½ pounds (last month of pregnancy is when they gain most of their weight)
Small size and incomplete development can make them vulnerable to infection, lung ailments, etc
False Labor pains is not a sign of early pregnancy

9. Rh Factor Most people are RH + = no complications
Causes a problem to the baby when the father is Rh+ and the mother is RH-
Rh Disease: type of anemia that destroys the baby’s red blood cells

10. Iron
needs more iron than usual to produce all the blood needed to supply nutrition to the placenta
May have to take an iron supplement

11. FOLIC ACID
aids in the creation of the baby's nervous system. Folic acid can help prevent congenital defects such as, spina bifida, cleft palate or cleft lip.

12. Weight Gain for Mom Suggest between 25-30 lbs
eat an extra 300 calories per day
much of the weight gain goes to the growing baby and the tissues that support it

13. Physical Activity
Should be active unless told otherwise from her doctor
Avoid contact sports
helps keep weight within normal activity, strengthens muscles used during birth, increases energy
What are some activities that would be good for a pregnant woman?

14. What is a congenital problem?
a physical or biochemical problem in a baby that is present at birth.
Down Syndrome
Extra chromosome
Cleft Lip
Muscular Dystrophy
Cerebral Palsy

15. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
3/1,000 babies have FAS
Mother drinks heavily during pregnancy
alcohol interferes with brain development
heart defects
poor motor development

17. What causes congenital problems?
Environmental causes
nutritional balance of mother’s diet
any disease or infections the mother may have during pregency
harmful substances
outside hazards (radiation)
Heredity
Errors in chromosomes

18. What is a miscarriage
The natural ending of a pregnancy before the embryo or fetus can survive
Miscarriage reportedly occurs in 20 percent of all pregnancies. However, according to some sources, this may be an inaccurate number. Many women, before realizing a life has begun forming within them, may miscarry without knowing it-assuming their miscarriage is merely a heavier period.
STILLBIRTH: the natural ending of a pregnancy after 20 weeks
the loss happens by accident and is not the fault of the father or mother

19. ALERT!!!! vaginal bleeding unusual weight gain severe abdominal pain
prolonged back pain
increased vaginal mucus

20. Ectopic Pregnancy development of fetus outside of the uterus
Usually in the fallopian tubes
This cannot result in a successful pregnancy

21. Hydrocephalus
Extra fluid that is trapped around the brain. Without treatment children rarely survive, therefore, the excess fluid is surgically removed.

22. What is an ultra sound?
technique using sound waves to make a video image of an unborn baby

23. Primary purpose of an ultra sound?
to check for health problems and fetal development
skeletal/ organ defects

24. Amniocentesis
A sample of the amniotic fluid surrounding an unborn baby is withdrawn with a special needle
The fluid is checked for indications of specific birth defects or other health problems

25. Chorionic Villi Sampling
small sample of placenta is removed
test for birth defects
done earlier in pregnancy
more dangerous than amniocentesis

26. What is the purpose of genetic counseling?
Some defects can be predicted
Service that combines a knowledge of heredity and birth defects with lab tests
Explains options and risk
Tells parents in advance the statistical odds that their children will have a certain disease or defect