Infant mortality rates have been on the decline in the past 200 years. There are a number of factors that have contributed to this drop over time. Advances in medicine, technology, and lifestyle changes have all created changes in prenatal care. There are numerous things that play a factor in the overall mortality rate decrease, however there is one major factor that influences the change. That factor is education and knowledge about prenatal care. Better understandings of common prenatal complications and how to treat them have made a significant difference in the survival rate of infants. Due to advances in medicine, women are learning of their pregnancies sooner and are able to take optimal care of their bodies and unborn babies.
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Those studies have discovered that a baby’s cognitive development starts in the womb. They have also learned more about factors like diet, which can cause a baby to thrive or even hinder its development. Due to this, more women are eating diets that aid in the development of their fetuses, which in turn is creating healthier babies at birth. Doctors have learned more about the effects of gestational diabetes and are able to screen for it during pregnancy. Women who are diagnosed are placed on strict diets in order to regulate their sugars and keep their babies healthy throughout their …show more content…
These tests can screen for genetic defects like Down Syndrome, diseases like rubella, and malformations like spina bifida. There are various other prenatal tests that can detect problems in the fetus. Technologies such has ultrasounds, that weren’t around years ago allow doctors to see a baby’s development in the womb. Through ultrasounds doctors are able to identify physical characteristics that can sometimes be linked to disorders. Doctors use this as an indicator to determine if further testing should be done. Sometimes doctors are able to treat babies in utero, which leads to healthy full term babies that otherwise would result in infant mortality. If further testing leads to a severe fetal abnormality in which no help is possible, parents are able to prepare for a child with exceptional needs or decide to terminate their pregnancy. This prevents the child from growing to term and possibly being still born. If a condition of preeclampsia is detected early in pregnancy, doctors and can provide medications to regulate blood pressure to keep the mother and baby healthy. There are many issues than can be detected thanks to the advancement in technology and the development of prenatal screening
Those studies have discovered that a baby’s cognitive development starts in the womb. They have also learned more about factors like diet, which can cause a baby to thrive or even hinder its development. Due to this, more women are eating diets that aid in the development of their fetuses, which in turn is creating healthier babies at birth. Doctors have learned more about the effects of gestational diabetes and are able to screen for it during pregnancy. Women who are diagnosed are placed on strict diets in order to regulate their sugars and keep their babies healthy throughout their …show more content…
These tests can screen for genetic defects like Down Syndrome, diseases like rubella, and malformations like spina bifida. There are various other prenatal tests that can detect problems in the fetus. Technologies such has ultrasounds, that weren’t around years ago allow doctors to see a baby’s development in the womb. Through ultrasounds doctors are able to identify physical characteristics that can sometimes be linked to disorders. Doctors use this as an indicator to determine if further testing should be done. Sometimes doctors are able to treat babies in utero, which leads to healthy full term babies that otherwise would result in infant mortality. If further testing leads to a severe fetal abnormality in which no help is possible, parents are able to prepare for a child with exceptional needs or decide to terminate their pregnancy. This prevents the child from growing to term and possibly being still born. If a condition of preeclampsia is detected early in pregnancy, doctors and can provide medications to regulate blood pressure to keep the mother and baby healthy. There are many issues than can be detected thanks to the advancement in technology and the development of prenatal screening