The importance of perinatal care

Pregnancy is a time of happiness and is filled with the excitement of welcoming a new member to your family. It is a time when special care is necessary to ensure the health and safety of mother and baby.

Healthy pregnancy and safe childbirth are the goals of perinatal care.

Perinatal period covers pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. The care includes promoting full term babies, reducing pre-term births, stillbirths and maternal complications to ensure the health of mother and baby. By avoiding pre-term or early births we can prevent or reduce the risk of neurological and developmental disorders, congenital anomalies and stillbirths. Chronic diseases of adulthood may also be reduced by ensuring full term births. When health is promoted at birth, long term consequences that affect quality of life and that require special medical, social and educational interventions are reduced.

Early and regular perinatal care is vital for you and your baby. This will help your doctor diagnose problems, if any, early. With early treatment, many conditions can be resolved. This is an important factor that influences the outcome of pregnancies. Studies have shown that women who get early and good perinatal care deliver healthier babies than those women who do not get perinatal care. Low birth weight and higher neonatal mortality are complications you can avoid with good perinatal care. Premature babies born even at 26 weeks have a better chance of survival and normal life with perinatal care.

The highlights of good perinatal care:

• Woman centric care, where the woman is the primary focus of attention
• Sensitive approach that addresses the psychological needs of the woman and her family
• Multidisciplinary team approach
• Technology driven service for early detection and treatment of complications
• Promoting screening and testing at crucial stages for early detection of anomalies
• Specialised care for high risk pregnancies
• Encouraging skin-to-skin contact at delivery
• Promoting kangaroo care after delivery, especially for preterm and sick babies
• Baby Friendly Hospital practice that encourages and supports breastfeeding
• Better infection control practices
• Resuscitation trained staff capable of handling emergencies
• Specialized care for low-birth-weight babies that address social, psychological, educational and medical concerns
• Involving fathers during labour, delivery and postpartum care
• Promoting awareness through education and information

Perinatal care is the foundation of healthy adulthood. With an early start, good perinatal care will ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery.