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Prenatal Care

Prenatal care is the process of getting checked up throughout the pregnancy by a midwife, nurse, or doctor for keeping the baby healthy.

Prenatal care is an essential part of keeping the heath factor checked throughout the pregnancy for better care of the mother and the baby. The present study will define prenatal care and present its purpose and importance in day-to-day lives. Further, it is going to discuss the guidelines and benefits of prenatal care for the mother and the baby during pregnancy. Later it will assess the side effects of improper prenatal care if not done properly throughout pregnancy. 

The Definition of Prenatal Care: 

Prenatal care can be defined as a process of checking the body by a doctor or a nurse frequently for keeping the health factors on record. It can help the mother and the baby to avoid extra complexities during pregnancy and birth-giving. Getting checked up by proper doctors and nurses helps the mother to monitor her body and its subtle changes over the course of pregnancy. It also sets a particular routine for the mother to intake proper food and medicine at the proper time for the well-being of both the mother and the baby. Prenatal care can also minimize the discomforts during pregnancy for the mother and assist her to spend a healthy pregnancy state successfully.

Importance of Prenatal Care: 

Prenatal care during pregnancy is an essential action that all mothers need to go through for the well-being of the baby throughout pregnancy and afterward. Prenatal care outlines the early concerns of the mother, eventually enabling her to take care of the baby and her health properly. Prenatal care appears as pre-pregnancy counseling for the mother for a meticulous health assessment. Further, it minimizes all the health risks for the mother beforehand that results in a healthy pregnancy for the mother. Issues like gestational diabetes and anemia can be spotted at an early stage during prenatal care that helps the mother to stay healthy throughout pregnancy. 

The Purposes of Using Prenatal Care: 

Prenatal care has eventually become a necessary action for the mother in order to keep the health records checked throughout pregnancy. Prenatal care offers early counseling for the mother that assists her to maintain a healthy state during pregnancy. It also outlines the actions that are necessary for the mother to keep her health factor checked properly. Additionally, prenatal care can provide the mother with a proper diet and medications that she needs during her necessary times. Most importantly, it outlines the course of actions that are strictly prohibited during pregnancy. It eventually helps the mother and the baby to stay healthy and maintain a good health status throughout pregnancy. 

Guidelines of Prenatal Care: 

Prenatal care involves following proper health guidelines in order to maintain a healthy pregnancy period and plan a healthy life for the baby afterward. The key guidelines for prenatal care are listed below 

  1. Getting prenatal care at an early stage of pregnancy.
  2. Taking multivitamins with 400 to 800 mgs of folic acid on a daily basis.
  3. Consulting doctors before starting or stopping any medications.
  4. Avoiding x-rays and getting flu shots at times.

Benefits of Prenatal Care: 

Prenatal care enables the mother to develop a better understanding of her pregnancy along with a developed plan for healthy status. It further reduces the complications and deficit risks for the mother at an early stage. Prenatal care also helps the mother to keep track of her development throughout pregnancy along with accurate nutritional intake every day.

Side Effects of Lack of Prenatal Care: 

The lack of proper prenatal care can result in premature pregnancy and nutritional deficit for both the mother and the child at times. It can further lead to retardations in the intrauterine growth of the baby and enforce low birth weight. At its worst, lack of prenatal care can lead to child mortality during the pregnancy period. It can also result in maternal complexity for the mother during her state of pregnancy at an early stage. 

Conclusion

Prenatal care is a necessary course of action for a mother who is expecting a healthy and complexity-free pregnancy. Seeing the doctors at the right times directs the mother and the baby towards the right path in terms of keeping the health factors checked. Prenatal care sets the daily routine for the mothers along with the daily intake of foods and medicine throughout pregnancy. It also outlines the early complications of pregnancy and minimizes the risks of major health hazards during pregnancy. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the USMLE Examination Preparation.

What are the key tips one should follow for proper prenatal care?

Answer : Proper prenatal care involves going to the doctor frequently and in an early stage of preg...Read full

Which actions should be strictly prohibited in prenatal care?

Answer : Dieting is the key to staying healthy during pregnancy along with proper foods and medicin...Read full

Which foods are commonly recommended while being in prenatal care?

Answer : Foods that are nutritious and involve proper protein elements are commonly recommended dur...Read full

Does body weight affect prenatal care while being pregnant?

Answer : During pregnancy, a high body mass index can affect the health of the mother and the baby ...Read full