The expected delivery date is calculated by adding 280 days to the day of the last normal menstrual period. In the case scenario offered, adding 280 days to the first December 2012 gives the expected delivery date to be seventh September 2013. Calculation of the expected delivery date is important in ensuring that the patient receives adequate prenatal care. It is crucial to use the last normal menstrual period in the calculation to avoid misleading calculations. Apart from obtaining the last normal menstrual period history, it is crucial to ask if the patient had been in any sexual contact when during the time. a comprehensive sexual history can also help unmask other markers of ill health like emotional and psychological torture (McGlynn, 2017). Confirmatory tests on the expected date of delivery can be obtained by the use of ultrasound (Fleming, 2016).
Ensuring a healthy pregnancy is the role of both the mother and the healthcare provider. Comprehensive prenatal care ensures not only a healthy child but also a successful pregnancy outcome with reduced chances of pregnancy complications. A pre-conception care plan can also be helpful in avoiding genetic combinations that would be disastrous to the child. It can also help create a health programme in which the mother gets mineral supplements before conception to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Seeking preconception care can also help ensure that the patient avoids drugs and chemicals that predispose the child to congenital anomalies (Genuis, 2016).
Developing a care plan during pregnancy helps avoid pregnancy complications. The care plan should include regular visits for check-ups at the clinic. These check-ups include the tests for infections that could pose danger to the developing fetus. A VDRL test should be conducted to isolate any syphilis infections and treat the positive cases. Offering dietary guidance and food supplements when necessary forms another care practice during prenatal care. The mother has to be educated on the increased nutritional requirements in her body, especially the most important components like folic acid, calcium, and phosphorous. Identifying and treating dietary deficiencies early enough can help prevent the birth of a malnourished child or reduce the chances of getting infections due to dietary deficiencies.
The use of recreational drugs like tobacco and alcohol can also pose danger to the developing fetus. The clinician has to educate the mother on the drugs and other herbal substances that could constitute a danger to the developing fetus if used during the pregnancy period. The presence of congenital anomalies reduces when the mother avoids the use of teratogens.
Establishing other risk factors to either the mother or the developing fetus is also crucial during the prenatal care period. Establishing the history of any previous illnesses like diabetes and hypertension can help avoid complications related to pregnancy. Carrying out tests during clinic visits can also help isolate some of these diseases before they pose danger to the patient. Random blood sugar tests, the evaluation of vital signs, and a careful recording of weight changes are some of the tests that can help isolate possible clinical signs of disease.
The use of diagnostic imaging like ultrasounds helps identify the actual expected delivery date. It can also isolate any abnormalities in the developing fetus. Neural tube defects, GIT abnormalities, and other developmental deficits can be isolated early and managed (Chibueze, 2017).
References
Chibueze, E. C. (2017). Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound scanning for prenatal microcephaly in the context of Zika virus infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific reports, 7(1), 2310.
Fleming, P. J. (2016). Estimating discharge dates using routinely collected data: improving the preparedness of parents of preterm infants for discharge home. Archives of Disease in Childhood-Fetal and Neonatal Edition.
Genuis, S. J. (2016). Preconception care: a new standard of care within maternal health services. BioMed research international.
McGlynn, C. (2017). Rape Trials and Sexual History Evidence: Reforming the Law on Third-Party Evidence. The Journal of Criminal Law, 81(5), 367-392.
