CHAPTER 8 - Antenatal care for women developing medical or obstetric problems during pregnancy

Summary

During the antenatal period conditions unique to pregnancy may develop, such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus and obstetric cholestasis, in addition to the less commonly encountered new pathologies, whether medical, surgical or mental. There are several evidence-based guidelines available to assist the clinical management of conditions arising in pregnancy. These include guidelines published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), which include pregnancy-related conditions, such as obstetric cholestasis. Providers of maternity services must consider women from minority ethnic groups, who may need access to translated written information and professional translators. Optimal patient care requires a continuous cycle of training aimed at all components of the multidisciplinary team. Training obstetricians to become leads in high-risk obstetrics or maternal medicine involves completion of the appropriate Advanced Training Skills Modules (ATSM) or subspecialty training. Regular audit is necessary to ensure that national and local standards of care are being met.