Pregnancy is a wonderful experience in a lifetime of a woman. But, it also demands great care of the pregnant woman by herself and her family members. To have a smooth pregnancy and a healthy child, prenatal and antenatal care is important.

First of all, if a couple is planning for pregnancy, they should pay a visit to a Gynecologist for a basic health checkup. This is called as Pre-Conception Counseling. During that visit, doctor will screen both partners for general health parameters.

Here we are highlighting some basic guidelines regarding essential aspects and parameters to be taken care of during pregnancy.

1. Basic investigations like screening for thyroid profile, blood pressure, Diabetes Mellitus type 1 or 2, Epilepsy, Renal stones, Thalassemia carrier status, Vitamin B12 and D levels, blood group etc.
2. Doctor may also inquire about any particular history of mental illness in family or an infants’ death or any history of abortion or miscarriage/s.
3. The woman is given folic acid tablets to be taken once daily to prevent neural tube defects; as the nervous system of baby starts developing right from conception.
4. Woman’s vaccination status regarding Hepatitis B, Rubella, Measles, Tuberculosis is inquired and wherever necessary she is advised to be vaccinated if not already vaccinated. After taking Rubella vaccine patients are advised not to get pregnant for at least 3 months after the vaccination.

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