Word parts
What it means
Describes the time from conception to birth and the care given then. Prenatal care includes regular visits, screening tests, checking the parent's blood pressure and weight and the baby's growth and heart rate, and teaching. Prenatal vitamins with folic acid lower the risk of brain and spine birth defects.
For the nurse
Teach the importance of early, regular visits and of taking folic acid, avoiding alcohol, smoking and drugs not approved by the provider. Teach the warning signs to report, such as bleeding, fluid leaking, a bad headache or less fetal movement.
At a glance
| Spanish | prenatal |
|---|---|
| Also written | antenatal |
Related terms
ante-
A word beginning that means before, in time or in place.
postpartum
The time after giving birth, usually the first six weeks, while the body returns to its non-pregnant state.
fetus
An unborn baby from about the ninth week of development until birth.
trimester
One of the three periods, each about three months long, that a pregnancy is divided into.
gestation
The time a baby develops in the uterus, from conception to birth; pregnancy.