Significance of Antenatal Check-Up During Pregnancy
Definition of Antenatal Care (ANC):
Systemic supervision (examination and advice) of a woman during pregnancy which should be of a regular and periodic nature in accordance with the principles laid down or more frequently according to the need of the individual is called antenatal care.
Importance of Antenatal Check-Up During Pregnancy:
For the below reasons antenatal check-up is so much important during pregnancy:
- To confirm the pregnancy.
- To confirm that the size of uterus corresponds to the period of pregnancy.
- To exclude the presence of any tumors or other abnormalities in the pelvis.
- To diagnose any infections in the vagina or cervix.
- To diagnose the presence of any ulcer or erosion in the cervix (mouth of the uterus).
- To take a routine cervical smear to rule out any disease.
- To assess the size of the pelvic cavity.
- Since it confirms the presentation of the baby.
- It helps the doctor to assess the condition of the cervix.
- It gives a fair idea of the pelvis in comparison to the presenting part of the baby.
- To screen out high risk cases.
- Detection of high risk factors.
- To make the patient realize that the pregnancy is a physiological process & to give psychological support.
- Regular supervision of pregnancy.
- A routine examination of urine will provide information about any infection, presence of protein or sugar in urine.
WHO Recommendation for Antenatal Visit:
Prenatal visit:
- Health history taking,
- Abdominal assessment,
- Subsequent visit.
If pregnancy is normal, prenatal visits are scheduled every month for 7 months, every 2 weeks during the eight month and every week during the last month.
In the developing countries, as per WHO, the antenatal visit is curtailed to at least four (4).
· First visit (by 16 weeks): | · Anaemia, syphilis, medical & obstetric risk factors. · Individualized birth plan & health education. |
· Second visit (between 24-28 weeks): | · Symphysis fundal height (multiple pregnancies). |
· Third visit (at 32nd week): | · Symphysis fundal height (multiple pregnancies, IUGR). · Pre-eclampsia. · Further develop individualized birth plan. |
· Fourth visit (at 36th week): | · Identify fetal lie / presentation. · Update the individualized birth plan. |
Routine Investigations During Antenatal Care Visits:
A. Routine investigations: |
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B. Special investigations: |
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C. Repetition of the examinations should do at every antenatal visit – |
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Maria Khatun Mona is a Founder and Editor of Nursing Exercise Blog. She is a Nursing and Midwifery Expert. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Evercare Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has great passion in writing different articles on Nursing and Midwifery. Mail her at “maria.mona023@gmail.com”