Some Basic
Pointers (Week 28)
Maternal Asthma
Asthma is a respiratory disorder that
occurs when the trachea and the bronchi
are extra sensitive to stimulations,
and hence breathing becomes affected.
Problems associated with asthma include
difficulty in breathing, shortness
of breath, coughing and wheezing.
It comes and goes, occurs at any age
but nearly half of the cases happen
before the age 10. Pregnancy does
not worsen the situation; either the
mother gets better or her condition
stays the same. When the attack is
severe, it can cause high BP in the
mother and premature birth or smaller
babies. Medications to treat asthma
are safe for use during pregnancy.
Most cases go through a safe pregnancy
and delivery despite having this condition.
Since oxygen consumption increases
by 25%, treatment is important during
pregnancy so that baby can receive
adequate oxygen it needs. Treatment
in the form of medication prior to
becoming pregnant can be continued.
Bring this up in your early prenatal
visits with your doctor so that you
are on the right path.
The Placenta
The placenta plays a crucial role
in the growth, development and survival
of the baby. The placenta is formed
with trophoblastic cells; these cells
grow through the walls of the mother's
blood cells. Fetal circulation is
separate from the mother's circulation
but the blood flow from the fetus
in the placenta is close to the mother's
blood flow. Placenta growth is rapid;
at 10 weeks the placenta weighed about
20g and grows to weigh about 650g
at full term. The connection between
the fetus' cells and the placenta
begin at the 2nd and 3rd week of development
and around this time, the villi at
the bottom of the placenta attaches
to the bottom layer of the uterus.
Villi have a very important function
- it absorbs nutrients and oxygen
from the mother's blood and this is
in turn transported to the baby through
the umbilical cord.
Baby's waste is transferred from the
umbilical arteries to the maternal
bloodstream. Placenta is responsible
for transporting oxygen and carbon
dioxide to and from the baby. It is
also involved in the supply of nutrients
and removal of excreta from the baby.
Placenta is responsible in the production
of important hormones; HCG, a hormone
that will determine your pregnancy
after a pregnancy test is produced
by the placenta. It also produces
the hormones estrogen and progesterone
at the 8th week of pregnancy. It is
flat and cake like in appearance,
either round or oval in shape. However
its shape and size varies widely.
It is red or reddish brown in tone.
It is about 2-3cm thick at the thickest
part and weighs about 500-650g on
average. Around the time of birth
it may have white patches on it -
these are calcium deposits. If you
are carrying more than one fetus,
there may be more than one placenta
playing its role or there may be one
placenta with more than one umbilical
cord attached to it. Usually there
are 2 separate sacs for twins with
2 cords attached to the fetuses from
one placenta. The umbilical cord which
attaches the baby to the placenta
is about 22 inches or 55cm long and
it is usually white in color. It carries
blood to and from the baby. Problems
linked to placenta include placental
abruption and placenta previa, both
serious complications. After delivery,
a retained placenta can become a problem
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