New Delhi: Pregnant women, especially those that live in informal settlements need to be aware of the environmental factors that can contribute to the spread of such diseases. Based on the area that they live in, they need to be aware of preventing mosquito bites and removing stagnant water in their localities. Any early signs of a disease such as fever, feeling sick or malaise, bodyache, headache, getting shivers, etc to be reported immediately. Early reporting of such issues will help doctors to provide them with timely medication and treatment.
In an interaction with News9Live, Dr. Shanti Pantvaidya, Executive Director, SNEHA, spoke about how the health of pregnant women can be preserved.
How to protect pregnant women from infections during pregnancy?
The earliest sign of all infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, etc. is fever. It is also important that mosquito bites are prevented among pregnant women as they spread several diseases as well. For this, WHO has advised the use of nets for all, especially pregnant women, while sleeping. Health field workers need to regularly visit pregnant women in the community to detect early signs of such infectious diseases and ensure complete treatment. For all infectious diseases, diligent monitoring of the health of the pregnant woman is required. Such women also need to do regular check-ups such as ultra-sonography, especially around 18 to 24 weeks of pregnancy to ensure that the unborn children are without any defects.
In cases of high-risk pregnancies, healthcare professionals need to ensure that the needs of these high-risk women are addressed in a timely appropriate manner. Hence, it is also important to establish a formal referral system to ensure that these high-risk pregnant women get early access to quality healthcare. High-risk pregnancies need higher levels of care than the preventive, promotive health services provided in primary health facilities.
Mental health and wellbeing plays a crucial role during pregnancy. For this, the family needs to be part of the process. Doctors note that domestic violence can begin during pregnancy. Societal pressure often leads to the newly married woman getting pregnant within 2-3 months of marriage. The just pregnant mother then starts facing r restrictions to her mobility, and her desired pursuits leading soon to emotional or in some cases physical abuse onset. Thus it is important to identify the early onset of violence and take measures to address and prevent it. This helps ensure health and well-being of the oth mother and her baby.
Pregnancy is a sensitive time in a woman’s life. Therefore, it is imperative to preserve physical and mental health as much as possible in every way feasible. Mental Health Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
