Healthy Pregnancy

Prenatal Care• no great change to a woman during embryonic period• during late foetal period, foetus has high demands• mother functions slow down nutrients stay in blood

longer• constipation• mothers blood vol increases (40%) & faster circulation

(increased heart rate and vol)• alcohol, drugs & antibodies may pass from mum to foetus• increase energy intake to 850kJ / day• Increase protein to at least 65g / day• Increase Ca, Fe, folate, fluorine (in water)• Weight gain (approx 0.5 kg / week)• Maintain same exercise program as before pregnancy

Factors Affecting Foetal Development

1. Environment:• warmth, moisture & nutrition in Uterus• Other people, climate, food, disease / Infection

2. Congenital Disorders• defects or diseases that are present at birth• may inherit a defective gene or due to mutation• may be due to environmental factors (teratogenic agents)

• Teratogenic agents / Mutagens• Mutagen: changes genetic info increases

frequency of mutations above normal level• Teratogen: capable of interfering with

development of foetus birth defects

3. Environmental factors causing non-inheritable changes

• Infections• Rubella cause foetus to be deaf, blind, heart malformation

or brain damage• Hepatitis & mumps may have varying affects. Influenza may

cause brain damage.• Listeria infection (Listeriosis): Bacteria ingested in

uncooked/old food. May cause miscarriages/stillbirths.• MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccination for all 1

year olds

• Maternal diet• Ca: bone growth• Vit A (green / yellow veg’s): normal growth of cells• Folic Acid (In whole grain bread/cereals, green leafy veg’s,

legumes) : Normal cell division & protein manufacture (lack spina bifida)

• Alcohol• Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)• 1/1000 births• Lower birth weight• Small head• Irregularities of the face• Heart defects• Malformed arms / legs• Mental retardation• Hyperactivity, nervousness or poor attention span

• Smoking• Decreased birth weight• Increased respiratory problems (bronchitis, pneumonia)• Increased risk of miscarriage• SIDS• Smoke + Breast milk = gastrointestinal problems

• Chemicals• Thalidomide (sleeping pills): limb malformation• Heroin / LSD

• Smoking• Decreased birth weight• Increased respiratory problems (bronchitis, pneumonia)• Increased risk of miscarriage• SIDS• Smoke + Breast milk = gastrointestinal problems

• Chemicals• Thalidomide (sleeping pills): limb malformation• Heroin / LSD

Diagnosis of Foetal Health

• Ultrasound• Inaudible, high frequency sound waves are reflected against

foetal tissue are • translated into a visual image on a computer screen.

• Chromosomal Analysis• Karyotype: A photograph/drawing of chromosomes displayed• Used to detect: down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, certain neural

tube defects (spina bifida), tay-sachs disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy & sickle cell anaemia.

• Can be obtained by amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling

• Amniocentesis: during 16 -20 weeks, approx 130mL amniotic fluid• Removal of approx 10-20mL amniotic fluid containing some

floating living cells from foetus

• Chorionic Villus Sampling: during 9-19 weeks, obtain foetal cells from Chorion• Procedure and testing Faster than amniocentesis but• 1/100 may result in a miscarriage• Cannot detect spina bifida

• Blood tests of Mothers blood: after 6 weeks, sample treated with magnetised antibodies which attach to certain foetal cells, and they are removed for analysis.

• Fetoscopy• Looking at foetus through a small, telescope-like instrument

(fetoscope) which is inserted into abdominal wall.• Used to detect: cleft lip/palate, missing/abnormal ears, deformed

absent/limbs, spinal abnormalities.

• Foetal Blood Sampling• Blood is directly obtained from foetus and analysed.• Diagnosis may be obtained on the same day.

• Foetal monitoring• During labour/birth• Regular monitoring of foetus’ heart rate using ultrasound &

electrocardiography (electrical changes in heart)• Produces an electrocardiogram (ECG) – graph• then certain components of test DNA are missing

• Biochemical Analysis• Assessment of marker proteins (if present the foetus has a certain defect)

• DNA Probes• Segment of ‘labelled’ DNA, identical to that being tested is allowed to

combine with test DNA• If it does not combine completely then certain components of test DNA

are missing