Fundamentals of prenatal care: a comprehensive guide to essential visits, screenings, and key guidelines for a healthy pregnancy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-1770.ijrcog20242848Keywords:
Prenatal care, Health, PregnancyAbstract
Prenatal care is essential for a healthy pregnancy and the best outcomes for both the mother and the baby. This page provides a thorough review of the key prenatal checkups, screenings, and guidelines that are required for effective prenatal care. It describes the standard schedule of prenatal visits, including the essential assessments and evaluations performed at each visit. The page also discusses several screenings and diagnostic tests that are widely used to monitor fetal development and mother health, such as blood tests, ultrasounds, and genetic screenings. Furthermore, it discusses standard guidelines and best practices for sustaining a healthy pregnancy, including nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. This review is a great resource for healthcare practitioners and expectant parents, as it synthesizes current guidelines and recommendations.
References
World Health Organization. WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience. Geneva: WHO; 2016. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549912. Accessed on 15 July 2024.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Practice Bulletins-Obstetrics. Neural Tube Defects: ACOG practice bulletin, no. 187. Obstet Gynecol. 2017;130(6):12.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prepregnancy health care and pregnancy planning. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/pregnancygateway/preconception.html. Accessed on 15 July 2024.
JAMA Health Forum. Association of prenatal care services, maternal morbidity, and perinatal mortality with the advanced maternal age cutoff of 35 years. JAMA Network. 2022.
Driscoll AK, Gregory ECW. Prepregnancy body mass index and infant outcomes by race and Hispanic origin: United States, 2020. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2021;70(16):1-8.
Sharma S, Jones M, Patel K, Ahmed M, Brown L, Garcia A. Ultrasound in Early Pregnancy. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2017;37(2):234-40.
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM). Gestational Diabetes: Screening and Diagnosis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021;224(4):10.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Screening for Fetal Chromosomal Abnormalities: ACOG Practice Bulletin, No. 226. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;136(4):10.
Duley L. Pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, and hypertension. BMJ Clin Evid. 2011;2011:1402.
Benson CS, Shah A, Frise MC, Frise CJ. Iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy: A contemporary review. Obstet Med. 2021;14(2):67-76.
Lohana RU, Khatri M, Hariharan C. Correlation of non stress test with fetal outcome in term pregnancy (37-42 Weeks). Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol. 2013;2:639-45.
Alfirevic Z, Navaratnam K, Mujezinovic F. Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling for prenatal diagnosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;9(9):CD003252.
Greenberg JA, Bell SJ, Guan Y, Yu YH. Folic Acid supplementation and pregnancy: more than just neural tube defect prevention. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2011;4(2):52-9.
Dipietro L, Evenson KR, Bloodgood B, Sprow K, Troiano RP, Piercy KL, et al. Benefits of Physical Activity during Pregnancy and Postpartum: An Umbrella Review. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2019;51(6):1292-302.
Al-Mutawtah M, Campbell E, Kubis HP, Erjavec M. Women's experiences of social support during pregnancy: a qualitative systematic review. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023;23(1):782.
Lumbiganon P, Martis R, Laopaiboon M, Festin MR, Ho JJ, Hakimi M. Antenatal breastfeeding education for increasing breastfeeding duration. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;12(12):CD006425.
Peahl AF, Novara A, Heisler M, Dalton VK, Moniz MH, Smith RD. Patient Preferences for Prenatal and Postpartum Care Delivery: A Survey of Postpartum Women. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;135(5):1038-46.
Jayashankar SS, Nasaruddin ML, Hassan MF, Dasrilsyah RA, Shafiee MN, Ismail NAS, et al. Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT): Reliability, Challenges, and Future Directions. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023;13(15):2570.
Fernandes BA, Alves B, Matosinhos AC. The use and role of telemedicine in maternal fetal medicine around the world: an up-to-date. Health Technol. 2023;13:365-72.
Ladak Z, Grewal N, Kim MO, Small S, Leber A, Hemani M, et al. Equity in prenatal healthcare services globally: an umbrella review. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024;24(1):191.
