Examination items of elderly childbearing
With the development of science and technology and social progress, more and more women choose to conceive and give birth at a higher age. However, the elderly childbearing is also accompanied by certain risks and challenges. In order to ensure the health of the mother and fetus, doctors usually require older pregnant women to carry out a series of examinations. Next, we will elaborate on the examination items of elderly childbearing from four aspects: gynecological examination, chromosome abnormality screening, abnormal glucose metabolism screening and psychological assessment.
Gynecological examination
Gynecological examination is one of the basic examinations that must be carried out for elderly pregnant women. In gynecological examination, doctors will check the health of female sexual organs, including the cervix, uterus, ovary, etc. Through gynecological examination, possible gynecological diseases, such as cervicitis and hysteromyoma, can be excluded, and the thickness and size of endometrium can be evaluated, so as to monitor the implantation and development of embryos.
At the same time, gynecological examination can also detect whether there are endometriosis, hysteromyoma, polycystic ovary syndrome and other diseases in elderly pregnant women, which may affect the smooth progress of pregnancy. If these problems are found, doctors usually formulate corresponding treatment plans to improve the safety of pregnant women and fetuses.
In addition to gynecological examinations, older pregnant women also need to be screened for chromosomal abnormalities.
Chromosome abnormality screening
Chromosome abnormalities are one of the important causes of congenital abnormalities and hereditary diseases. Because older pregnant women are at greater risk of chromosomal abnormalities, doctors usually recommend them to screen for chromosomal abnormalities. Common screening methods for chromosomal abnormalities include amniocentesis, villus biopsy and non-invasive prenatal gene detection.
Amniocentesis is a common screening method for chromosomal abnormalities. It extracts amniotic fluid from the uterine cavity of pregnant women, and extracts fetal cells from amniotic fluid for chromosomal detection. Amniocentesis can accurately detect chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome, but there are also certain risks, such as abortion.
Villus biopsy is to take out fetal villus tissue for detection, which can also find chromosomal abnormalities. Compared with amniocentesis, the risk of villus biopsy is lower, but the accuracy is slightly lower.
Noninvasive prenatal gene testing is a relatively new method, which can screen the chromosomal abnormalities in the blood of the fetus by collecting the blood of pregnant women. This method is very accurate, and there is no risk of miscarriage, so it has gradually been widely used.
Screening for abnormal glucose metabolism
Abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy is a common complication of pregnancy. Pregnant women with abnormal glucose tolerance will increase the risk of pregnancy complications and childhood diabetes. Because older pregnant women are more likely to suffer from abnormal glucose tolerance, doctors usually screen for abnormal glucose metabolism. Common screening items for abnormal glucose metabolism include oral glucose tolerance test and fasting glucose test.
Oral glucose tolerance test is a common screening method for abnormal glucose metabolism. Pregnant women are given a solution containing a specific concentration of glucose, and then their blood glucose levels are measured repeatedly within a certain period of time. In this way, the insulin secretion and glucose metabolism of pregnant women can be evaluated, and the abnormal glucose tolerance can be detected and intervened in time.
Fasting blood glucose detection is a simple screening method for abnormal glucose metabolism. It can assess whether the glucose metabolism is normal by detecting the fasting blood glucose level of pregnant women. If the fasting blood glucose level exceeds the normal range, it may indicate that pregnant women suffer from abnormal glucose tolerance.
Psychological assessment
Older pregnant women face more physiological and psychological pressure. In order to ensure their mental health, doctors usually carry out psychological assessment. Psychological assessment is to assess the psychological status of pregnant women, including anxiety, depression, coping ability, etc., through inquiry and observation. If pregnant women are found to have psychological problems, doctors will provide necessary psychological support and counseling services.
To sum up, the examination items of elderly childbearing mainly include gynecological examination, chromosome abnormality screening, abnormal glucose metabolism screening and psychological assessment. These examination programs are designed to ensure the health of mothers and fetuses, and provide comprehensive medical and psychological support for elderly pregnant women.
