The infant born after 42 weeks of gestation is defined as post-term. Primi-parity, grand multi-parity, and history of prolonged pregnancy are factors associated with post-term gestation.
Category: Maternal Health Nursing Care Plans
Maternal health is the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. It encompasses the health care dimensions of family planning, preconception, prenatal, and postnatal care in order to ensure a positive and fulfilling experience, in most cases, and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, in other cases. Maternal health revolves around the health and wellness of women, particularly when they are pregnant, at the time they give birth, and during child-raising.
Infants at high risk for birth injury include breech presentations, macrosomic infants, those experiencing a prolonged second stage of labor or operative obstetrics (forceps, vacuum extraction, and cesarean delivery). Injuries may be minor such as bruises, petechiae, abrasions, subconjunctival hemorrhages, or small lacerations.
An infant born before 37 weeks of gestational age is described as preterm. The preterm infant may have difficulty adapting to extrauterine existence
because of the premature function of his body systems.
Psychiatric disorders that manifest themselves during the puerperium are often called “postpartum blues,” “postpartum depression,” or “puerperal
psychosis,” although these terms are not recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition revised (DSMIIIR).
Lactation is a normal physiologic process that provides optimum nutrition for the infant. The hormones of pregnancy prepare the breasts for lactation.
Fetal death after 20 weeks gestation is often referred to as an Intrauterine Fetal Demise (IUFD) or stillbirth. Causes of fetal demise may be related to complications of pregnancy such as PIH, diabetes, hemorrhage, a cord accident, or fetal anomalies. No apparent cause is found in approximately 25% of cases.
Heart disease is the number four cause of maternal mortality after hypertension, hemorrhage, and infection. Rheumatic fever is declining as a cause of heart disease but advances in treatment of congenital defects means that more of these women are now likely to become pregnant.
The pregnant teenager is at risk for physical, psychological, and socioeconomic complications.
Pregnant women are at increased risk of infection due to the hormonal and immune changes that support pregnancy. Infection may affect the fetus by crossing the placenta or ascending the vagina.
The use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal “street drugs” such as marijuana, cocaine (crack), heroin, PCP, and LSD can lead to an increase in perinatal mortality and morbidity.
Atrendynurse 