Patient's question:
I have an itchy lower body, and my underwear is always yellow. What's going on? What does the prenatal check-up process check for?Doctor's answer:
Prenatal examinations generally require women to visit the hospital promptly after their menstrual period to determine if the pregnancy is intrauterine and the gestational age, and to schedule the next prenatal check-up. Between weeks 10 and 13, it is necessary to establish a medical record and consult for initial screening of high-risk cases. Ultrasound examinations should not be excessive; generally 2 to 3 times is appropriate. The first ultrasound is performed around weeks 14 to 16, focusing on the preliminary exclusion of abnormalities and Down syndrome. The second ultrasound is conducted later in pregnancy (around week 28) to assess fetal growth and development, amniotic fluid status, and any abnormalities in the placenta. The third ultrasound is performed before delivery to determine the size of the fetus, the condition of the placenta, umbilical cord, and amniotic fluid. Color Doppler ultrasound is particularly important for delivery. For special cases, additional ultrasound examinations may be required.In addition to this, the specific schedule for other routine prenatal examinations is as follows: At least one examination before the fifth month of pregnancy, every four weeks between weeks 20 and 28, every two weeks between weeks 28 and 36, and once a week after week 36 until delivery. If any abnormalities are detected during these examinations, the frequency of check-ups or additional testing methods should be adjusted accordingly.