O prenatal it is the medical follow-up that every pregnant woman must have, in order to maintain the integrity of the health conditions of the mother and baby. Throughout pregnancy, laboratory tests are carried out to identify and treat diseases that can harm the health of the mother or child.
It is important that mothers-to-be start doing their prenatal care as soon as they have confirmed their pregnancy or before completing three months of pregnancy. Some tests done during prenatal care are important to detect problems, such as diseases that may affect the child or its development in the uterus. Doctors usually order the following tests:
* blood glucose, to assess the presence of diabetes;
* Blood group and Rh factor. This test is very important, as it detects blood incompatibility between mother and baby, which can lead to fetal death;
* Anti-HIV, to identify the presence of the AIDS virus in the mother's blood. If the mother is HIV positive, the doctor will prescribe some medications that will reduce the chances of the disease being transmitted to the baby;
* Test to detect syphilis, a disease that can cause malformations in the baby;
* Test to detect toxoplasmosis, as this disease can be transmitted to the fetus, causing malformations;
* Examination to detect rubella, a disease that can lead to abortion, in addition to causing malformations in the baby;
* Test to detect the presence of the hepatitis B virus. If the mother has the disease virus, some measures can reduce the chances of transmitting the virus to the baby;
* Urine test and urine culture, to identify whether the mother has a urinary tract infection, which can lead to premature birth, in addition to progressing to a more serious infection;
* Ultrasounds. Ultrasounds are used to identify the gestational age and birth defects in the baby.
During prenatal care, pregnant women also receive guidance on the importance of maintaining a healthy eating, physical activity and the importance of avoiding alcohol, tobacco and other types drugs. It is important to monitor the mother's weight, so that she does not gain more weight than necessary, which can cause some problems. In the prenatal period, it is important that the pregnant woman make a replacement of vitamins, with folic acid being recommended in the first weeks of pregnancy, as it helps to prevent malformations.
As we have seen, prenatal care is extremely important for expectant mothers, as it is through it that changes are detected and treated in time, thus avoiding problems for the health of the mother and the drink.
Paula Louredo
Graduated in Biology
