Obstetrics

Obstetrics (from the Latin obstare, "to stand by") is the surgical specialty dealing with the care of a woman and her offspring during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (the period shortly after birth). Almost all modern obstetricians are also gynaecologists; see Obstetrics and gynaecology.

Antenatal care

In obstetric practice, the obstetrician will see a pregnant woman on a regular basis as her pregnancy progresses. The exact schedule varies depending on resources and risk factors, such as diabetes.

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The main rationale for these visits is surveillance for diseases of pregnancy which are detectable. Some examples are:

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• pre-eclampsia. The blood-pressure and urine of a pregnant woman is checked at every opportunity to check for this.
• placenta praevia. On ultrasound, the placenta is visible obstructing the birth canal
• abnormal presentation (late pregnancy only). The foetus may be feet-first (breech), side-on (transverse), or at an angle (oblique presentation)
• IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restriction), this is a general designation, where the foetus is too small for its gestational age. Causes can be intrinsic (in the foetus) or extrinsic (usually placental problems). IUGR refers to fetal growth that is less than 10% of what is expected at that gestational age.