Index
- What you need to know about obstetrical pathologies
- Frequent obstetrical pathologies
- Metrorrhagia
- Pregnancy diabetes or gestational diabetes
- Pre-eclampsia or high blood pressure
- The episiotomy
- Risks related to late pregnancy
- Coronavirus and the pregnant woman
- Frequent obstetrical pathologies
What you need to know about obstetrical pathologies
Obstetrical pathologies are disorders related to pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnancy monitoring allows us to detect possible illnesses that may affect the pregnant woman and the foetus. A woman's body undergoes many changes as the baby grows in her womb. This is not without consequences for her health and her body. This condition can cause some illnesses. Many symptoms may appear.
Frequent obstetrical pathologies
There are many of them, given the various medical concerns that can arise throughout the pregnancy until the birth. Thus, obstetrical pathologies may be different in the first few months than in the last months. Moreover, the mother- to-be is vulnerable at this period of her life. This is why obstetric consultation is compulsory in the third month of pregnancy.
Metrorrhagia
This is a fairly common bleeding during pregnancy. At the beginning of pregnancy, they are most often benign. However, it is an obstetrical pathology not to be neglected if it occurs in the last months of pregnancy. The different causes of metrorrhagia are a normally evolving pregnancy, a miscarriage, a molar pregnancy, an ectopic pregnancy. Otherwise, exceptional cases of menstruation may occur at the beginning of maternity.
Pregnancy diabetes or gestational diabetes
It is an obstetrical pathology that occurs when the blood sugar level in the pregnant woman's blood rises. Hormonal changes during pregnancy contribute to this condition. Pregnancy diabetes is detected in the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy when the baby is already formed. This is the period of maximum insulin resistance in the mother-to-be. Placental hormones block the action of insulin produced by the mother's pancreas. This form of diabetes usually disappears after childbirth.
Pre-eclampsia or high blood pressure
It occurs mainly in very young pregnant women under 18 years of age or in those aged 40 and over. High blood pressure appears after the 20th week of pregnancy. The characteristic signs of this obstetrical pathology are: an increase in blood pressure and a high level of protein in the urine or proteinuria. It is a disease that should not be taken lightly, as the complications can be fatal for both mother and baby. The risks involved are:
- A miscarriage
- Pre-term delivery
- A delay in the baby's growth
- Placenta detachment
In 70-75% of cases, it occurs in pregnant women for the first time.
The episiotomy
It is not really an obstetrical pathology. It is a surgical act that the gynaecologist- obstetrician or midwife performs during childbirth. It consists of incising the perineum in order to enlarge the opening of the vulva. It is essential in the case of premature delivery or if the perineum is not flexible enough to allow the baby's head to pass through. It also happens that the baby lacks oxygen when the descent is too slow. Usually, the doctor will use a lateral episiotomy. This technique prevents ano-rectal or anal tears in case the incision accidentally extends.
Risks related to late pregnancy
The quality of fertility is no longer very good after the age of 40. The quantity and quality of the oocytes leave something to be desired and this is due to the ageing of the ovary. The risk of miscarriage is 30% between 40 and 44 years of age. The risk of miscarriage is 40% between the ages of 45 and 49. Obstetrical pathologies can be serious if the mother-to-be is too old. It is important to be aware of the risks that a woman aged 40 and over who is pregnant and her baby may incur. The most frequent problems for the mother are:
- A haemorrhage of deliverance
- A retro-placental haematoma
- Maternal mortality
Smoking, being overweight or pre-existing high blood pressure are also risk factors for late pregnancy.
For the child, the following different cases of obstetrical pathologies are likely to occur:
- Stunted growth in the uterus
- Congenital malformations
- Developmental disorders
- A genetic abnormality (chromosomal with a rate of abnormality 10 times more worrying at the age of 39)
Coronavirus and the pregnant woman
In the absence of official recommendations for pregnant women with regard to VIDOC 19, they should:
- Respecting barrier gestures
- Always clean the objects used and their rooms
- Avoid crowded areas
- Stay at home as much as possible: pregnancy may justify a work stoppage during confinement
A recently published study indicates that the use of caesarean sections has increased with COVID 19, particularly in the United States. The risk of obstetric pathologies such as foetal death, miscarriage and premature delivery is also to be feared in case of infection. Transmission of the in-utero virus may occur, but this has not yet been confirmed. No foetal malformations associated with the coronavirus have been found to date.
