Title: Prenatal care - Wikipedia
Headings: Prenatal care
Prenatal care
Contents
Visits numbers
Group versus individual care
Midwife-led care
Prenatal examinations
United States
See also
References
Further reading
External links

Content: Prenatal diagnosis or prenatal screening (note that "Prenatal Diagnosis" and "Prenatal Screening" refer to two different types of tests) is testing for diseases or conditions in a fetus or embryo before it is born. Obstetricians and midwives have the ability to monitor mother's health and prenatal development during pregnancy through series of regular check-ups. Physical examinations generally consist of: Collection of (mother's) medical history
Checking (mother's) blood pressure
(Mother's) height and weight
Pelvic exam
Doppler fetal heart rate monitoring
(Mother's) blood and urine tests
Discussion with caregiver
In some countries, such as the UK, the symphysial fundal height (SFH) is measured as part of antenatal appointments from 25 weeks gestation. ( The SFH is measured from the woman’s pubic bone to the top of the uterus ). A review into this practice found only one piece of research so there is not enough evidence to say whether measuring the SFH helps to detect small or large babies. As measuring the SFH is not costly and is used in many places, the review recommends carrying on this practice. Growth charts are a way of detecting small babies by the measuring the SFH. There are two types of growth chart: Population based chart which shows a standard growth and size for each baby
Customized growth chart which is worked out by looking at the mother’s height and weight, and the weights of their previous babies.