antenatal care - The care of a pregnant woman and her unborn baby throughout a pregnancy. Such care involves regular visits to a doctor or midwife, who performs abdominal examinations, blood and urine tests, and monitoring of blood pressure and fetal growth to detect disease or potential problems. Ultrasound scanning is carried out to identify abnormalities in the fetus.
Chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis may be performed if the baby is thought to be at increased risk of a chromosomal abnormality or a genetic disorder.
The woman is also advised on general aspects of pregnancy, such as diet, exercise, techniques to help her with childbirth. (See also childbirth, natural.)
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