NORMAL DIAGNOSTIC AND LABORATORY FINDINGS/ NUTRITIONAL

HEALTH OF PREGNANT WOMEN

A paper submitted and presented

to Mrs. Anabel Bauzon RN. MN.

Care of Mother, Child, and Adolescents Lecture

Submitted by:

Jerlyn Bano
Marjorie Lim
Izzy Lurica
Arianna Mabunga
Mizi Malate
Jose Martinez
Xyrelle Melodias
Sophia Moreno
Leane Ogade

July 2, 2019
NORMAL DIAGNOSTIC AND LABORATORY FINDINGS/ NUTRITIONAL HEALTH OF
PREGNANT WOMEN

PROMOTING NUTRITIONAL HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), you should try
to eat a variety of foods from these basic food groups. If you do, you are likely to get all the
nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy

Key Nutrients You Need

According to ACOG, you and your baby need these key nutrients for a healthy pregnancy:

Calcium
Helps to build strong bones and teeth. Main sources include milk, cheese, yogurt, and sardines.
During pregnancy you need 1,000 milligrams (mg) daily.

Iron
Helps red blood cells deliver oxygen to your baby. Sources include lean red meat, dried beans,
peas, and iron-fortified cereals. During pregnancy you need 27 mg daily.

Vitamin A
You need this vitamin for healthy skin, eyesight, and bone growth. Carrots, dark, leafy greens,
and sweet potatoes are good sources. During pregnancy you need 770 micrograms daily.

Vitamin C
Promotes healthy gums, teeth, and bones, and helps your body absorb iron. Good sources
include citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, and strawberries. During pregnancy you need 85 mg
daily.

Vitamin D
Aids your body in the absorption of calcium to help build your baby’s bones and teeth. Sources
include exposure to sunlight, fortified milk, and fatty fish, such as salmon. During pregnancy you
need 600 international units (IUs) daily.

Vitamin B6
Helps form red blood cells and helps your body use protein, fat, and carbohydrates. You can
find vitamin B6 in beef, liver, pork, whole-grain cereals, and bananas. During pregnancy you
need 1.9 mg daily.

Vitamin B12
Helps form red blood cells and maintains your nervous system. You can find this vitamin only in
animal products. Good sources include liver, meat, fish, poultry, and milk. During pregnancy you
need 2.6 micrograms daily.

Folate (Folic Acid)

A B vitamin important in the production of blood and protein, it also reduces the risk of neural
tube defects (a birth defect of the brain and spinal cord). You can find folate in green, leafy
vegetables, liver, orange juice, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), and nuts.
You must get at least 400 micrograms of folate daily before pregnancy and during the first 12
weeks of pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. During pregnancy, doctors
recommend you get 600 micrograms daily.

Early in pregnancy, fetal growth occurs largely by an increase in the number of cells
formed (hyperplasia); late in pregnancy it occurs mainly by enlargement of existing cells
(hypertrophy).To ensure that early pregnancy deficiencies do not occur, encourage women of
childbearing age to follow a healthy nutrition plan before pregnancy (preconceptual care) that
specifically supplies adequate folic acid (400 g/day). Otherwise, in the time before a woman
recognizes that she is pregnant (about 6 weeks), her poor diet and lack of important nutrient
stores could seriously impair fetal growth (Fowles & Murphey, 2009).

Several National Health Goals speak to nutrition in pregnancy. These are:

• Reduce iron deficiency among young children and females of childbearing age from a baseline
of 11% to 7%.
• Reduce anemia among low-income pregnant females in their third trimester of pregnancy from
a baseline of 29% to a target of 20%.
• Increase the proportion of pregnancies begun with an optimum folic acid level from a baseline
of 21% to a target of 80%.
• Increase the proportion of women who achieve a recommended weight gain during their
pregnancies (http://www.nih.gov).

Nurses can help the nation achieve these goals by stressing the importance of balanced
nutrition for all people so women enter pregnancy with adequate nutritional stores. They can
help pregnant women plan ways to ingest adequate iron daily and to remember to take their
prenatal vitamin (which contains an iron and folic acid supplement) daily. Nursing research on
such topics as what are effective methods to help people remember to take daily medications,
what are the best methods for women who cannot drink milk to obtain adequate calcium during
pregnancy, and what are the ways to urge women to eat high-protein, not empty carbohydrate
foods, could add important information in this area of care.
RELATIONSHIP OF MATERNAL NUTRITION TO INFANT HEALTH

During pregnancy, a woman must eat adequately to supply enough nutrients to the
fetus, so it can grow, as well as to support her own nutrition (Crombleholme, 2009). Adequate
protein intake is vital because so much is needed by a fetus to build a body framework.
Adequate protein may also help prevent complications of pregnancy, such as pregnancy-
induced hypertension or preterm birth. Either deficiencies or overuse of vitamins may contribute
to birth anomalies (Subramanian et.al., 2008).
“Eat three servings of some type of meat or fish every day.” The word “diet” has come to
mean a form of unpleasant food denial. Rather than a “pregnancy diet,” therefore, talk about
“foods that are best for you during pregnancy” or “pregnancy nutrition.” These statements sound
more positive and refer more closely to what you are encouraging a woman to do. Giving a
woman a clearly written list of suggested foods may help. Be sure the list is short, clear, and
specific. Complicated lists of foods or a list of don’ts can be overwhelming and, therefore,
ignored.

Recommended Weight Gain During Pregnancy

A weight gain of 11.2 to 15.9 kg (25 to 35 lb) is recommended as an average weight gain
in pregnancy. If a woman is at high risk for nutritional deficits, a more precise estimation of
adequate weight gain can be calculated (Rode et al.,2007). This is done by computing body
mass index (BMI), the ratio of weight to height (Box 13.2; see also Appendix E). Women who
are high or low in weight for their height (BMI below 18.5 or above 25 kg/m2) need to have their
expected outcomes for weight gain adjusted.

Normal Prepregnancy BMI

Underweight Under 18.5
Normal weight 18.5–24.9
Overweight 25.0–29.9
Obese Above 30.0
Morbidly obese Above 40.0

Comment [1]: notes pa man nuh... nag copy

paste palang ko. :*

Encourage pregnant women and their partners to eat a varied diet with high iron and
protein content. This may be difficult for a woman early in pregnancy because of nausea and
late in pregnancy because of fatigue.

● Family Consideration
 ○ Meal planning is best if it involves the entire family because even if a woman is
receptive to changing her eating habits, she may have difficulty carrying out
recommendations if her family resists the change.

● Financial Consideration
○ Under the food stamp program, a family with a low income can buy stamps that
can be redeemed to grocery stores for any food items except alcohol or pet food.
The cost of stamps varies, but the use of food stamps can increase a family’s
buying power as much as $150 a month.

DIAGNOSIS OF PREGNANCY

● The medical diagnosis of pregnancy serves to date when the birth will take place
(EDD/EDC) and helps predict high risk status for the pregnancy, the fetus, and
the mother.
● Pregnancy is often officially diagnosed on the basis of the symptoms reported by
the woman and the signs elicited by the health care provider.
● The Signs and Symptoms are classified into two
○ :
1. Presumptive (Subjective) sign of Pregnancy -these are the least
indicator of pregnancies. These signs are taken as single entities as they
could indicate other conditions. It is discussed in connection to the body
system they occur but it can’t be documented by the examiner.
2. Probable (Objective) signs of Pregnancy -in contrast with the
previous, these signs can be documented by the examiner. However,
these signs are still not guaranteed positive or true diagnostic finding
despite being more reliable than the previous. It is still discussed in
connection to the body system they occur.

LABORATORY TESTS
● All lab test for pregnancy are accurate in diagnosing pregnancy only 95% to 98%
of the time.
● Commonly used lab test for pregnancy are based on the detection of the
presence of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is created by
the chorionic villi of the placenta. This hormone is found in the urine or blood
serum of a pregnant woman.
● These tests are performed by radioimmunoassay (RIA), enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA); hCG is measured in international units in both
tests.
● Nonpregnant woman -No units detectable, trophoblast cells producing hCG is
not present. Hence a negative result of the test.
● Pregnant women -trace amounts of hCG appear in the serum as early as 24-48
hrs after implantation.
❖ The hCG levels reach approximately 50 mIU/mL, 7-9 days after
conception.
❖ Levels peak at about 100 mIU/mL between the 60th-80th day of
gestation, after this period hCG levels decline and become barely
detectable in the serum.
❖ Urine testing was formerly used but Blood serum testing gives faster
results.