Why is it important to have a prenatal check-up before getting pregnant?

The article was written by Specialist Doctor II Huynh Thi Hien - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Nha Trang International Hospital

Your prenatal visit is an important step in your pregnancy journey. A mother's health check before pregnancy will help you know your own health situation and prepare the best body state to be able to conceive and give birth to a healthy baby. Below, BSCK II Huynh Thi Hien will help you equip yourself with information about antenatal care.

Pre-pregnancy check-up is a health check-up before pregnancy with the aim of checking for abnormal problems and bad risks that occur to mother and baby during pregnancy. Studies have shown that more than 4000 abnormalities of the fetus and newborn can be encountered, caused by genetic, environmental factors, parental diseases or unknown causes. The doctor will rely on the results after the examination, to give advice to couples to choose the right pregnancy time. During the consultation, if you have questions about pregnancy such as pregnant women's diet, and medications to use, you can consult the doctor in charge of the examination.

Medical examination papers: Vaccination certificate, most recent medical examination certificate. Doctors will diagnose faster and easier for mothers. Your pregnancy history: This is for women who have given birth once. You need to keep in mind your medical history and that of your family in order to answer the doctor's questions: Have you ever had any injections, have any medical conditions, have had surgery, have any allergies to any ingredients, have any allergies? healthy lifestyle and any genetic diseases. The mother should also prepare her questions and concerns about the antenatal check-up in advance to consult with her doctor.

General examination
An important step of antenatal check-up is that the doctor will do a general examination of your health to have indicators of weight, height, BMI, blood pressure, heart rate, mammary gland, thyroid gland , abdomen, pelvis and uterus,... for the next steps. Next, the doctor will ask you thoroughly about issues surrounding menstruation to accurately determine your cycle, calculate ovulation and advise on the fastest time to have sex. Check your vaccination history. If you have not been vaccinated against measles, chickenpox, diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis and tetanus, your doctor will advise you to vaccinate you 1 month before deciding to get pregnant. Conduct screening tests
Rubella virus test HIV virus test Syphilis virus test Hepatitis B test Some tests if needed.

Counseling for genetic diseases
If in the case that your parents and family members have or are suffering from the following genetic diseases, you need to consult a genetic counselor to know the percentage of the fetus that will be affected. malformation is high or low:
Infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth. Mental problems: Mental retardation, schizophrenia,... Blood sugar problems: Diabetes, high blood pressure,... Genetic diseases such as hemophilia, neurofibromatosis epilepsy type 1, thalessemia,... Birth defects: cleft palate, bent legs,... Psycho-physiological problems such as depression, autism. Congenital impairment of vision and hearing. Women over the age of 30 and those with a history of genetic disease in the family should be consulted by a doctor about this issue in order to have the best solution.
Being pregnant is a happy and sacred task for couples, and at the same time there are many difficulties and hardships that a mother has to face to help her baby develop comprehensively and healthy. Many people have a subjective mentality, disregarding antenatal check-ups, so the rate of babies born with many malformations and diseases increases rapidly. If you are preparing for pregnancy, first go to a prenatal check-up at Vinmec to receive timely advice from leading doctors in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.