Chapter 9 – Preconception Care and Pregnancy

Part 2: Pregnancy and antenatal care

Pregnant patients have access to several models of antenatal care in Australia, including tertiary public hospital multidisciplinary care, private obstetric care, GP Shared Care, and midwifery-led care.

Antenatal care should be patient-centred and delivered in a culturally sensitive manner. This is particularly important in providing care to Indigenous Australians, who experience increased adverse perinatal outcomes. This includes higher rates of maternal mortality, pre-term birth, low birth weight and perinatal deaths when compared to non-Indigenous Australians.(32)

National evidence-based antenatal care guidelines for Australia were published in 2018, and are available here. Part A of antenatal care guidelines details strategies for optimising antenatal care for specific groups including Indigenous Australians, migrant and refugee women, women with serious mental health problems, adolescent women, and women in rural and remote settings.(33)

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Early pregnancy care and the first antenatal visit

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Early pregnancy problems

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First trimester screening options including prenatal tests for chromosomal abnormalities

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Screening tests available in the first trimester

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Screening tests available in the second trimester

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Subsequent visits and antenatal tests

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Vaccinations recommended during pregnancy

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Blood borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections in pregnancy

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