How do new humans come into the world? - Dr. David Ruiz Ortega

DEFINITIONS AND INTRODUCTORY RECOMMENDATIONS

Maternal death is defined as when a woman dies while pregnant or within the 42 days following the termination of pregnancy, regardless of its duration and site, due to any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its care, but not from accidental or incidental causes. The main reasons for maternal and perinatal mortality are predictable through early and systematic prenatal care, as it allows to identify and control the main obstetric and perinatal risk factors. Maternal-pediatric health encompasses all aspects of health that are carried out in women and the conceptus with adequate care. In other words, before, during, and after the 40 days of the child's birth.

Pregnancy is the physiological state of human reproduction that starts with the implantation of the conceptus in the endometrium and ends with the birth of the product at term. Gestational age is the period between the first day of the mother's last normal menstrual period and the day of birth. The term "delivery" refers to the set of active and passive events allowing the fetus of 37 weeks or more to be expelled vaginally, including the placenta and its attachments. The perinatal period is the stage starting at 22 weeks of gestation and ends 28 days after the birth. The puerperium is the period following the expulsion of the product of conception, in which the anatomic and physiological changes, characteristic of pregnancy, revert to the pregestational state, for six weeks or 42 days.

The main objective of maternal health professionals is to provide information and services to ensure a healthy pregnancy, safe delivery, and smooth puerperium, as well as to monitor the growth and development of all children from before the birth up to 40 days of age. Among its functions are the prevention of maternal complications, timely diagnosis, and adequate care to prevent maternal mortality. The World Health Organization states that around 800 women worldwide die every day due to complications related to pregnancy or delivery.

Every woman of childbearing age who wishes to get pregnant should attend a preconception consultation along with her partner at least three months before attempting pregnancy to identify reproductive risk conditions and take preventive measures, but also, to determine and advise on existential issues, and initiate the use of folic acid on the same date. They should attend at least 6 prenatal control visits to identify complications, risks, and gestational age. The patient is also informed and prepared for the delivery, perinatal period, puerperium, and maternity.

In proper family planning it is important to promote the abstinence of addictive substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and psychoactive substances in both individuals, as well as to report normal and emergency obstetric symptoms during pregnancy.

Prenatal care is fully carried out through the participation of a multi-task team within the family medicine and obstetrics units, which perform the risk factors preventions to be investigated during the prenatal control, as well as the supplements, medication care and the indicated and counter-indicated immunizations during the gestation that may condition perinatal maternal morbidity and mortality.

Dr. David Maximiliano Ruiz

Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Surgeon and Male Midwife. General practitioner with experience in outpatient, continuous medical care, emergency, and operating room (CX GEN, OTR. CX plastic). XXIICIAM 2020 & CADECI 2020. “A” Physician (SSJ) COVID, HGO. & 2021 H. Dr. Ángel Leaño.