IMPORTANCE OF PRENATAL CARE

Now, more than ever, your health will be important to you. Your baby’s growth and
progress can be affected by how well you take care of yourself. It is a good idea to plan
ahead. It is a known fact that women who receive care early and throughout their pregnancy
have healthier babies.

Having a healthy pregnancy is one of the best ways to promote a healthy birth. Getting
early and regular prenatal care improves the chances of a healthy pregnancy. This care can
begin even before pregnancy with a preconception care visit to a health care provider.

Good Prenatal Care Includes:

 Good nutrition and health habits before and during pregnancy.

 Frequent prenatal examinations to detect early problems.
 Routine ultrasounds to detect fetal abnormalities and problems.
 Routine screening for:
 Sexually transmitted diseases.
 Rubella immunity.
 Blood type problems (Rh and ABO).
 Diabetes.
 Genetic disorders — if there is a family history or the age of the mother
indicates the need.
 Blood pressure abnormalities.
 Urine proteins.

The Goals of Prenatal Care are to:

 Monitor both the pregnant woman and the fetus throughout the pregnancy.
 Identify anything that could change the outlook for the pregnancy from normal to
high-risk.
 Explain nutritional requirements throughout the pregnancy and postpartum period.
 Explain activity recommendations or restrictions.

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  Address common complaints that may arise during pregnancy (for example,
backache, joint pain, nausea, heartburn, headaches, urinary frequency, leg cramps and
constipation) and how to manage them, preferably without medications.

Women who are considering becoming pregnant, or who are pregnant, should eat a
balanced diet and take a vitamin and mineral supplement that includes at least 0.4
milligrams (400 micrograms) of folic acid. This level of folic acid supplement has been
shown to decrease the risk of certain abnormalities (such as spina bifida) to your baby.

Pregnant women are advised to avoid all medications, unless the medications are necessary
and recommended by a prenatal health care provider. Women should discuss all medication
use with their health care providers. Pregnant women should avoid all alcohol and drug use.
They should avoid herbal preparations and common over-the-counter medications that may
interfere with normal development of the fetus.

Pregnant women should not smoke. Cigarettes contain chemicals that are harmful to babies.
Smoking tightens blood vessels, which decreases the supply of oxygen and nutrients the
baby receives. Smoking increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight babies and
premature babies.

PRENATAL CARE

Women who suspect they may be pregnant should schedule a visit to their health care
provider to begin prenatal care. Prenatal visits to a health care provider include a physical
exam, weight checks, and providing a urine sample. Depending on the stage of the
pregnancy, health care providers may also do blood tests and imaging tests, such as
ultrasound exams. These visits also include discussions about the mother's health, the
infant's health, and any questions about the pregnancy.

Preconception and prenatal care can help prevent complications and inform women about
important steps they can take to protect their infant and ensure a healthy pregnancy. With
regular prenatal care women can:
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 Reduce the risk of pregnancy complications. Following a healthy, safe diet; getting
regular exercise as advised by a health care provider; and avoiding exposure to
potentially harmful substances such as lead and radiation can help reduce the risk for
problems during pregnancy and ensure the infant's health and development.
Controlling existing conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, is
important to avoid serious complications in pregnancy such as preeclampsia.
 Reduce the infant's risk for complications. Tobacco smoke and alcohol use during
pregnancy have been shown to increase the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Alcohol use also increases the risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which can
cause a variety of problems such as abnormal facial features, having a small head,
poor coordination, poor memory, intellectual disability, and problems with the heart,
kidneys, or bones. According to one recent study supported by the NIH, these and
other long-term problems can occur even with low levels of prenatal alcohol
exposure.

In addition, taking 400 micrograms of folic acid daily reduce the risk for neural tube
defects by 70%. Most prenatal vitamins contain the recommended 400 micrograms of
folic acid as well as other vitamins that pregnant women and their developing fetus
need. Folic acid has been added to foods like cereals, breads, pasta, and other grain-
based foods. Although a related form (called folate) is present in orange juice and
leafy, green vegetables (such as kale and spinach), folate is not absorbed as well as
folic acid.
 Help ensure the medications women take are safe. Certain medications, including
some acne treatments and dietary and herbal supplements, are not safe to take during
pregnancy.

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 ROLE OF PEDIATRIC NURSE
The role of the pediatric nurse is constantly changing. These changes are as a result of
expanding medical and nursing practice, emerging challenges in different aspects of child
care, consumer demands & technological advancements. The role of the pediatric nurse
may vary from one institution to others, but basic responsibilities remain the same. Roles of
pediatric nurse are:

 Primary care giver

 Coordinator and collaborator
 Advocate
 Health educator
 Consultant
 Counselor
 Case Manager
 Recreationist
 Social worker and
 Researcher

Primary care giver: Pediatric nurse should provide preventive, promotive, curative and
rehabilitative care in all levels of health services. In hospital, care of sick children includes
comfort, feeding, bathing, safety etc. At community set up, basic responsibilities include
health assessment, immunization, primary health care & referral etc.

Coordinator & Collaborator: The nurse plays an extremely important role with the
combination of health care team members. Nurse maintains good inter personal
communication with the child, family and health team members. The nurse coordinates
nursing care with other services for meeting the needs of child. For ex: physician, social
worker, surgeon, physiotherapist, dietician etc.

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Nurse Advocate: The pediatric nurse acts as an advocate to safeguard the child’s right, to
assist & to provide best care from the health care team. Nurse acts as a representative for
the child, family & other health care providers. Ex: it can range from consulting dietary
department for special foods to arrange team meeting to discuss plan of care with other
health team members.

Health Educator: The nurse’s goal of health teaching is to provide information to the child
parents and significant other about prevention of illness, promotion or health maintenance.
Characteristics of nurse teacher includes 4 Cs

C — Confidence

C — Competence

C — Communication

C — Caring & empathy

Nurse Consultant: The pediatric nurse can act as consultant to guide parents for
maintenance and promotion of health. For ex: Guiding parents about feeding practices,
accident prevention

Nurse Counselor: Providing guidance to parents in health hazards of children and health
them for own decision making in different situations.

Case Manager: The pediatric nurse should organize care, monitor and evaluate patient
treatment for successful outcome. She/he acts as a manager of pediatric care units in
hospital clinics and community.

Recreationist: The pediatric nurse plays supportive role for the child to provide play
facilities for recreation and diversion. It helps to decrease crisis imposed by illness or
hospitalization

Social Worker: Pediatric nurse can participate in social services or refer child & family t
child welfare agencies for necessary support.

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Nurse researcher: Research is an integral part of professional nursing. Pediatric nurse
should participate or perform research activities. It helps to provide basis for changes in
nursing practice, improvement in the child health care and evaluate the care.

ROLE OF PEDIATRIC NURSE

The pediatric nurse’s role is unique because of developmental immaturity and vulnerability
of children. The goals of nursing care of children, based on primary health care are:

I. Promote the healthy maturation as a physical, intellectual and emotional being within the
context of his family and communities (primary level).

2. Provide health care for the child who requires treatment from disease (secondary
level).Dealing with the Childs disabilities (tertiary level).

Therefore, the role of the pediatric nurse includes:

I. In Primary Level: Through health education to child and his parents and
providing Childs basic needs and immunization, she can:
 Maintain Childs health.
 Help the child achieves his optima growth and development.
 Prevent diseases and their complications.
II. In Secondary Level: The nurse has to provide care to sick children and their
families by:
 Assessing their needs.
 Planning for care.
 Implementing the plan.
 Evaluating children’s condition.
 Providing heath teaching to children and their parents
III. In Tertiary Level: The nurse should assist children to return to their maximal
level of functioning following illness and /or disabilities.

As a nurse depends on
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  Education
 Experience
 Job structure
 Professional demand
 Preventive care
 Promotive care
 Curative care
 Health education
 Restoration health
 Co-ordination

Nursing task and skill:

General nursing care

 Monitoring of vital signs

 Administration of fluid and electrolytes and drugs
 Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
 Nursing procedures
 Resuscitation skills
 Specialized nursing and monitoring skills
 Vaccination
 Prevention of nasocomial infection
 Universal precaution

Through the international activities of WHO (world health organization), IMCI-(Integrated

Management of Child hood Illness), UNICEF (United Nations International Children and
Emergency Fund) and other health agencies are providing to develop the level of child
health care throughout the world.

Now days the child care is very much improved it includes;

 Hospital environment for a sick child

 Advanced changes in medical and nursing care
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  Expansion in independent role of the paediatric nurse
 Paediatric nurse practionnaire.
 Paediatric clinic nurse specialist.
 Paediatric nurse master clinicians.

Old concepts New Concepts

Disease (centered care) Child centered care
Discourage the families on neglect of Take care with of the female child
female child Immunization of tetanus

Care of the women after becoming pregnant Health education on planned parent hoods
and doing the maternal health

Special care during the last trimester and the Early identification & family counseling
postnatal period to the child born with based on biochemical screening &
congenital anomalies and hereditary chromosomal studies it helps to prevent
disorders congenital anomalies and hereditary
disorders in children.

Caring of child after the birth only. Caring the health of the child from the day
of conception

Care of the sick children in the hospital Participate in the prevention of illness and
health promotion activities.

Care the physical condition of the child in Comprehensive cares of child in his home
hospital only community health centers.

Not allowed the parent to be with the child Ensuring that the children must have stay
in the hospital and reducing the visiting with them and participate in the care,
hours ward. flexible visiting hours in paediatric

One of illness oriented One of health oriented.

Only cleanliness and treatment Warmth and love oriented.

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Curative and rehabilitative care to the Health promotion activities by ensuring
children in hospital environmental stimulation only. and
intelligent manipulation of the
environment , adequate play activities
service related to the fertility, sex, education
& counseling

Adopt the indifferent attitude to child Safe guarding and protect the children rights
neglect & abuse by family and society. by health providing, cultural practice & laws
encouraging.