Content
The examinations of the first trimester of pregnancy must be done until week 13 of gestation and aims to evaluate the woman's health and, thus, check if there is a risk of the mother passing any disease to the baby. In addition, these tests also help to identify malformations and verify the risk of miscarriage.
It is important that these tests are performed according to the recommendation of the gynecologist, as this way it is possible to ensure that pregnancy occurs as expected and complications are prevented.
1. Gynecological examination
The gynecological examination is performed right at the first prenatal consultation and is done with the aim of assessing the woman's intimate region and, thus, identifying signs of infection or inflammation in the genital region, which is why some situations such as candidiasis, vaginal inflammations and cervical cancer, for example, when not identified and treated can influence the baby's development.
2. Routine exams
In all follow-up visits, the gynecologist may perform some more general tests to assess the woman's health. Thus, it is common to measure blood pressure in order to assess the risk of eclampsia, which can lead to the anticipation of delivery, in addition to also assessing the woman's weight.
Another routine exam that is usually done is to check the uterine height, in which the abdominal region is measured in order to assess the baby's growth.
3. Ultrasound
The ultrasound exam performed in the first trimester of pregnancy is transvaginal, which is usually performed between the 8th and 10th week of pregnancy and serves to verify that the baby is actually in the womb and not in the tubes, check the time of pregnancy and calculate the expected date of delivery.
This ultrasound can also be done to check the baby's heart rate and find out if they are twins, for example. In the ultrasound performed at 11 weeks it is possible to measure the nuchal translucency, which is important to assess the baby's risk of having some genetic alteration such as Down's Syndrome, for example.
4. Urine test
The type 1 urine test, also called EAS, and the urine culture test are often indicated in the first trimester of pregnancy, because these tests allow to check if there is any sign indicating a urinary infection that may interfere with the baby's development. Thus, if an infection has been identified, the gynecologist may recommend antibiotic treatment. See how the treatment of urinary tract infection in pregnancy should be.
Check out the following video for some feeding tips to help fight urinary tract infection in pregnancy:
4. Blood tests
Some blood tests may be recommended by your doctor in the first trimester of pregnancy, including:
- FBC: Used to check for an infection or anemia.
- Blood type and Rh factor: Important when the parents' Rh factor is different, when one is positive and the other is negative.
- VDRL: It serves to check for syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, which, if not properly treated, can lead to malformation of the baby or miscarriage.
- HIV: It serves to identify the HIV virus that causes AIDS. If the mother is properly treated, the chances of the baby becoming infected are low.
- Hepatitis B and C: It serves to diagnose hepatitis B and C. If the mother receives proper treatment, it prevents the baby from being infected with these viruses.
- Thyroid: It serves to evaluate the functioning of the thyroid, the levels of TSH, T3 and T4, because hyperthyroidism can lead to spontaneous abortion.
- Glucose: Used to diagnose or monitor the treatment of gestational diabetes.
- Toxoplasmosis: to check if the mother has already had contact with the protozoan Toxoplasma gondi, which can cause malformation in the baby. If she is not immune, she should receive guidance to avoid contamination.
- Rubella: It is used to diagnose if the mother has rubella, as this disease can cause malformations in the baby's eyes, heart or brain and also increases the risk of miscarriage and premature birth.
- Cytomegalovirus or CMV: Used to diagnose cytomegalovirus infection, which, when not properly treated, can cause growth restriction, microcephaly, jaundice or congenital deafness in the baby.
In addition, during prenatal care, tests can also be done to identify other sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, which can be diagnosed by examining vaginal secretions or examining urine. If there is any change in any of these tests, the doctor may request to repeat the test in the second trimester of pregnancy. Find out which tests are indicated in the second trimester of pregnancy.