At least 4 checkups considered vital during pregnancy period

KABUL (Pajhwok): Obstetricians and gynecologists have considered care during pregnancy important and according to them being looked after during this period could prevent the risks of miscarriage, premature births, and the death of the mother and child.

According to doctors, mothers should go to the health center at least four times in 9 months of pregnancy so that the doctor can check the mother's condition and give necessary recommendations to the mother according to the diagnosis.

Checkup during pregnancy protect mother and child from the risk of death: Physicians

Dr. Malalay Rahim Faizi, head of the Malalay Maternity Hospital in Kabul, termed the pregnancy period vital and said that a woman should be kept under the doctor’s watch during this period.

She told Pajhwok Afghan News: “When a woman gets pregnant, there are a number of risks, in the first 3 months of pregnancy, the child's life or whether the pregnancy is normal or it is diagnosed, and some other problems such as the mother's bad vomiting condition, which sometimes gets severe and even caused the child to die.”

According to Dr. Faizi during pregnancy, the mother's anemia is also checked, and a mother is also diagnosed with RH group, which is a large number of women who have RH negative group and do not understand and lose their child during the first delivery

She said: “Many women don't understand and lose their first child, the last three months of pregnancy are also very important, during this time it is first recognized that the child's growth is correct, bleeding is possible, the placenta can be seen where it is located, sometimes, it is the bleeding that is found in the last three months... the child's vitality, fluid and mobility are checked, so that there is no problem.”

Dr. Faizi said mothers should visit the doctor at least four times during pregnancy. “In the last three months of pregnancy, signs that are vital for the survival of a pregnant women and child are examined, there are many patients who have high blood pressure, which is prevented at this time, the baby's fluid is checked to see if it is at risk or not.”

She emphasized that pregnant women should refer to the doctor during their pregnancy period and said  visiting a doctor only at the time of delivery can cause some problems for the mother because some diseases that a mother faces during pregnancy are better diagnosed and treated during pregnancy period.

She said daily up to 200 women referred to the Malalay Maternity Hospital and they are provided with maternity services.

She did not give the number of patients that received services of the time of pregnancy but added: “Still, in the remote provinces of Afghanistan, health services have not fully reached the point where pregnant mothers can refer to it, there is no proper transportation area for the mother to refer to, or one district is too far from another district.”

According to Dr. Faizi another reason that pregnant women are not provided proper treatment was unpleasant culture and traditions in some families.

She said: “Still, in the remote provinces of Afghanistan, health services have not fully reached the point where pregnant mothers can, some of our people say that you should not go to the doctor because your child will be damaged, the child will die, and it is better to give birth at home, older women always say that in during our time, there was no doctor and we used to give birth normally.”

In her message to the families she said: “My suggestion is that women who become pregnant should be given special attention from the family, both in terms of nutrition and in terms of the fact that the woman should go to the doctor, benefit from health services that are very important during pregnancy.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Shinki Wardak, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Kabul, also called medical checkup during pregnancy important and said that every woman must be examined by an obstetrician-gynecologist during the nine months of her pregnancy.

She said that a mother who is under the care of an obstetrician during pregnancy, both herself and the fetus in her womb are safe.

Dr. Shainkai said: “If women do not see a doctor during pregnancy, this can lead to some problems such as birth defects, weak newborns, premature births, repeated miscarriages, and also births that lead to cesarean section, and the birth of a child with low weight.”

She said, the lack of sufficient awareness in this matter, economic problems, unpleasant customs and traditions are among the factors that mothers do not go to the doctor or health center at this pregnancy period..

Dr. Manizha Muskinyar, a senior official of the Public Health Ministry, also recommends that a pregnant woman should visit the health center at least four times before giving birth.

She said: “Pregnancy is an important and vital period that involves many challenges, if you do not go to health centers, all kinds of problems such as anemia, high blood pressure during pregnancy, malnutrition, urinary and genital tract infections and even mental disorders, birth defects, It causes stillbirths and complications during pregnancy.”

Dr. Manizha said: “Visiting the health center in time during pregnancy helps the health worker to identify complications and dangerous symptoms in the pregnant woman and to consider the necessary treatment and decisions for the next plan for a safe birth.”

Dr. Sharafat Zaman, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), said In the last three years, more than 350 new maternity health service centers have been established and the centers that existed before are also active.

He said the process to open more maternity centres was underway.

Muzdah, 27, a resident of Kabul’s Makrorayan are, said: “I didn't go to the doctor during my pregnancy because I had financial problems. When my son was born, he was very uncomfortable and one of his legs had an orthopedic problem, we took him to the doctor, and he said that my son's calcium and vitamin D were low. If I had visited the doctor during pregnancy and received vitamin D and calcium ampoules, maybe your son would not have this problem now.”

Shabnam, 24, a resident of Taimani area of Kabul, said: “During my pregnancy, I went to the doctor every month, in the seventh month of pregnancy the doctor told me that my baby's water is low, and I need to take more fluids and serums, the doctor gave me several serums, when I used them and went to the doctor again, he told me that these problems are address well in time.”

She also added that the doctor had told her that if this problem was not addressed in time, you would even face the risk of miscarriage.

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