Dra. Joana Faria

Pregnancy surveillance

The pregnancy is an unique moment on a women’s life and what is desirable is that it arrives until the end (meaning, after 37 weeks) with a mother and a baby in good health.

Every stage of pregnancy brings different issues and concerns. It is of paramount importance that the 1st consultation is done in the first 6 weeks of pregnancy in order to confirm its viability, to program the 1st trimester exams and to check the pregnant´s women global health, to evaluate her personal and family history, to be informed about alimentation, exercise, activity, supplements, restrictions and alarm signs.

In a normal-risk pregnancy, it´s usually advisable to do one ultrasound per trimester (around 12, 22 and 32 weeks) and blood and urine tests also every trimester. Further evaluations may be needed in cases of high-risk pregnancies.

High-risk pregnancies need a special care and surveillance. Risk factors can include:

• Existing health conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, being HIV-positive or other diseases
• Overweight and obesity: there is increased risk of high blood pressure, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, stillbirth, neural tube defects, and cesarean delivery
• Twin pregnancy (or higher-order pregnancies): common complications include preeclampsia, premature labor, and preterm birth
• Young or old maternal age: increases the risk for preeclampsia and gestational high blood pressure

In every consultation, your Doctor will give you the recommendations for the next weeks.

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