![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() rubella (German measles) can be responsible for many types of birth defects, particularly if the mother contracts it in the first 3 months of pregnancy. Most health care providers recommend that all drugs be avoided during pregnancy except those essential to the control of disease in the mother.ĭiseases that increase the risk of obstetrical complications include diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, and anemia. In addition, consumption of alcohol during pregnancy may result in fetal alcohol syndrome. Many drugs, including prescription as well as nonprescription medications, are now believed to be capable of causing fetal abnormalities. A well-known example is thalidomide, which inhibits the growth of the extremities of the fetus, resulting in gross deformities. Other factors affecting the fetus include certain drugs taken by the mother during pregnancy. Mothers who are underweight are more likely to deliver immature babies who, by virtue of their physiologic immaturity, are more likely to suffer from birth defects, hyaline membrane disease, and other developmental disorders of the newborn. Ideally, the mother should achieve normal weight before she becomes pregnant because obesity increases the possibility of eclampsia and other serious complications of pregnancy. The average gain is about 28 lb during pregnancy, and either starvation diets or forced feedings can be unhealthy for the mother and hazardous for the fetus. There is now less emphasis on severe restriction of the mother's dietary intake to maintain a limited weight gain. Supplemental iron and vitamins usually are recommended during pregnancy. It is especially important that the mother receive adequate protein in her diet, because a protein deficiency can hamper fetal intellectual development. The diet of the mother should be nutritious and well-balanced so that the fetus receives the necessary food elements for development and maturity of body structures. A host of influences can adversely affect the growth and development of the fetus and his or her chances for survival and good health after birth. ![]() See also pregnancy tests.Ĭare of the Fetus. There are several fairly accurate laboratory tests for pregnancy all are designed to detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced by living chorionic placental tissue and evident in the blood and urine of pregnant women. In subsequent pregnancies the old striae appear as whitish streaks and frequently do not disappear completely. These markings are called striae gravidarum. When the abdominal wall becomes stretched there may be a breaking down of elastic tissues, resulting in depressed areas in the skin which are smooth and reddened. chadwick's sign of pregnancy refers to a bluish color of the vagina which is a result of increased blood supply to the area. Early in labor this plug is expelled and there is slight bleeding expulsion of the mucous plug is known as show and indicates the beginning of cervical dilatation. Other signs of pregnancy include softening of the cervix and filling of the cervical canal with a plug of mucus. Frequent urination, another early sign, is the result of expansion of the uterus, which presses on the bladder. About 4 weeks after conception, changes in the breasts become noticeable: there may be a tingling sensation in the breasts, the nipples enlarge, and the areolae (dark areas around nipples) may become darker. Nausea, or morning sickness, usually begins in the fifth or sixth week of pregnancy. Unless the period is more than 10 days late, however, this is not a definite indication, since many factors, including a strong fear of pregnancy, can delay menstruation. Usually the first indication of pregnancy is a missed menstrual period. ![]()
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