The Challenge Description: Labor is the rhythmic contraction of the uterus that leads to progressive cervical effacement and dilatation. When effective, this leads to descent and eventual expulsion of the fetus. Labor may or may not culminate in the delivery…
The Challenge Fetal health may be assessed using the nonstress test (NST). This test is the simplest of the antenatal tests to perform and often represents the first line in managing an at-risk pregnancy. Scope of the Problem: Of pregnancies,…
The Challenge Doppler flow studies (also known as Doppler velocimetry) constitute a group of tests used to evaluate fetal health and reserve by assessing blood flow characteristics in the umbilical cord, middle cerebral artery, or other vascular structures. Of the…
The Challenge Fetal health may be assessed using the contraction stress test (also called “oxytocin challenge test”). This test is somewhat analogous to an exercise stress test for the evaluation of adult cardiac function as problems or weaknesses that are…
The Challenge The biophysical profile (BPP) is one of several tests used to evaluate fetal health and reserve. Of the tests used for fetal assessment, the BPP is the most technologically intensive and most expensive, but it carries the lowest…
The Challenge The challenge is to reduce the risk for fetal demise in women at a high risk through the use of noninvasive tests that have acceptably low false-positive and false-negative results. Scope of the Problem: There are approximately 5.7…
The Challenge During the third trimester (29–40 weeks or more) the fetus continues to grow and develop, with full maturation in organ function being established, maternal physiology continuing to change, and the cervix and uterus preparing for the processes of…
The Challenge During the second trimester (14–28 weeks) the fetus continues to grow and develop, organ function becomes more normal, and the growing uterus is more apparent. Prenatal care during this period is directed toward monitoring the progress of pregnancy…
The Challenge Despite the dramatic and vulnerable changes that the conceptus undergoes in the first 14 weeks of gestation, many patients are unaware of their pregnancy or delay seeking prenatal care. Evidence suggests that it is during this period the…
The Challenge In many ways, prenatal care is the prototypical example of preventive medicine. Preconceptional care is directed toward ensuring the optimal health of the prospective mother and doing those things that will remove preventable impediments to a healthy outcome…