Pre-pregnancy screening: Important but neglected

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Tran Thi Mai Huong - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital. The doctor has 25 years of experience in examination and treatment in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology, lower line surgery, laparoscopic surgery.
Pre-pregnancy screening is the first step to best prepare for your pregnancy journey. Prenatal examination also helps to detect abnormal problems in the future mother and baby.

1. Why pre-pregnancy screening?

Pre-pregnancy screening is an important job, not to be missed if you are planning to become pregnant. Based on WHO World Health Statistics released in 2017 of 194 countries and territories, Vietnam is ranked 80th in terms of infant mortality rate. Accordingly, the infant mortality rate in our country is 11.4/1000 births. In addition, the maternal mortality rate is not small, about 54 per 100,000 pregnant and postpartum women due to cardiovascular, endocrine, infection, eclampsia,...
Besides , about 41,000 children are born every year with birth defects, including genetic diseases such as Down syndrome, Edward syndrome, hemolytic thalassemia,... Many babies have birth defects that cause miscarriages. , die after birth, or live only a few months.
Meanwhile, the risks mentioned above can completely be minimized by screening before pregnancy. The antenatal counseling and health check will help women know what to do before pregnancy, what to prepare when planning a pregnancy. For parents who have been pregnant or gave birth to a child with birth defects, screening before pregnancy helps to minimize the risk of disease. In addition, the doctor also has the basis to best handle genetic problems, including chronic diseases and obstetric and gynecological diseases.
However, Vietnamese women today are not clearly aware of the importance of pre-pregnancy screening, but only care about their health and the baby's health after the start of pregnancy. While in reality, the pre-pregnancy preparation process is much more important. In Vietnam, every year more than 1,500,000 pregnant women and so many lovely babies have to die when they have not even seen their mother's face.
These unfortunate numbers can be completely limited if every couple understands the importance of pre-pregnancy screening.

2. Pre-pregnancy health care and counseling program at Vinmec

Understanding the importance of pre-pregnancy screening, Vinmec has implemented a pre-pregnancy health care and counseling program with services including:
Screening for genetic problems before pregnancy Pregnancy: Identify risk factors, help you and your family make the best decisions, and prevent occurrence or re-emergence in your family. Pre-pregnancy screening detects healthy carriers of disease genes: Couples who are normal before pregnancy also need to be screened to detect the possibility of carrying disease genes, especially for cases in the family. a family history of a genetic disease or with common diseases. Preparation for assisted reproductive services: Vinmec provides counseling and health care services from before pregnancy to increase the likelihood of a healthy baby and minimize risks during pregnancy. , at birth and after birth. Counseling on the use of medicines in pregnancy: Pre-pregnancy counseling helps you know how to use medicines properly before and during pregnancy. Vaccination: Vinmec experts will discuss with you the vaccines to be vaccinated before pregnancy as well as the appropriate time of vaccination. Take Vitamins and Folic Acid: This will support the health of both mother and baby, reduce the risk of having a baby with autism spectrum disorders and prevent neural tube defects in the fetus. Food use and pregnancy: When being screened before pregnancy, customers will be fully consulted on food safety issues, ensuring nutrition during pregnancy. Avoid exposure to harmful chemicals, dangerous physical agents such as X-rays, cosmetics, pesticides, tobacco, alcohol... Other health problems for you and your husband (wife)

Vinmec International General Hospital accompanies pregnant mothers from the first days of planning a pregnancy until the mother has a baby with high quality of service and the most dedicated care.
Register for Vinmec's pre-pregnancy health care and counseling program, please contact the hospitals and clinics of Vinmec Health system nationwide

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.