Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Pregnancy is the period in which an offspring develops within a woman's body. Childbirth occurs about 40 weeks from the last menstrual period. This period is typically divided into three trimesters. Prenatal care helps to improve pregnancy outcomes. It may include avoiding certain substances such as drugs, alcohol and nicotine, practicing healthy habits such as regular exercise and good nutrition, and opting for regular physical examinations, etc. Certain complications such as gestational diabetes, severe nausea and vomiting, and iron-deficiency anemia are fairly common in pregnancies. Nearly 10-15% of pregnancies end in miscarriages. This is because of obstructed labor, ectopic pregnancy, complications associated with ectopic pregnancy, bleeding, infections, etc. The newborn baby can also suffer from prematurity, birth trauma, infections and from a lack of oxygen at birth. Internal and external fetal monitoring can be done for the assessment of fetal well-being. This book is a valuable compilation of topics, ranging from the basic to the most complex principles and practices of care in pregnancy and childbirth. It presents the complex subject of pregnancy and childbirth in the most comprehensible language. The readers would gain knowledge that would broaden their perspective about these domains.