Ante-Natal Care

Abstract

From the biological viewpoint pregnancy and labour should be a continuous normal process. However, during pregnancy there is only a small margin between health and disease, so that it is necessary to maintain strict supervision of all patients. The aims and objects of ante-natal care are:

• 1. to maintain the health of the expectant mother;

• 2. to anticipate and, if possible, avert ante-natal complications;

• 3. to secure a normal labour and puerperium;

• 4. to reduce the stillbirth and neonatal death rates;

• 5. to produce a healthy breast-fed baby;

• 6. to enable the mother to regain normal health afterwards.