USE OF TECHNOLOGY DURING PREGNANCY
In todays day and age, it is rare for a woman to deliver her baby at home surrounded by the women of her family and a midwife to assist her. Medical technology has made significant advances over the last three decades, making it possible for women to know more about their unborn baby, themselves, and the pregnancy. Women today see their doctor or midwife regularly during the prenatal period in order to assess the pregnancy and seek out and solve any issues that surround the unborn baby.
Most people believe that since we live in the age of technology it can solve every problem, especially those surrounding pregnancy and birth. This isnt true, though, because the risk of a woman dying from causes related to pregnancy hasnt changed in over two decades. Nearly 1,000 women each year die during pregnancy, birth, or in the first week after giving birth, and these deaths could have been avoided with better access to higher quality maternity care. Even more women suffer from complications experienced because of invasive medical procedures during pregnancy.
Common technology used during pregnancy
A cesarean section was first and only used to save the life of either the mother or baby, but today is used so commonly when balanced against the chances that it will make things better instead of worse.
A bio physiological profile uses an ultrasound exam to determine the well being of the fetus, like the amount of amniotic fluid, fetal movement, and fetal muscle tone. The noninvasive technique can also find problems in the umbilical cord or placenta.
A non stress test (NST) is a noninvasive test that monitors the fetal heart rate when the mother is hooked up to a fetal monitor. It looks for accelerations in the heart rate that correlate with fetal movement. This test is commonly used when a woman notices less movement in her baby or when the due date has passed.
Similar to an NST, a stress test (OCT) uses a small amount of medication to induce a womans uterine contractions to see how a fetus will respond to the normal stresses of labor.
An amniocentesis is where a long needle is inserted through the abdomen to take amniotic fluid from the uterus to screen for genetic and chromosomal disorders. Because it carries a risk of miscarriage, the consequences must be weighed before performing the procedure.
An alternative to the amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was developed in the 1970s is done earlier than an amniocentesis but also increases the risk of infection and miscarriage.
A fetoscopy involves a lighted instrument being inserted through the abdomen and uterus into the amniotic sac to photograph the fetus to see if there is a fetal disorder. There is a 3-5% chance of fetal loss.
Percutaneous umbilical cord sampling (PUBS) takes blood from the umbilical cord under the guidance of an ultrasound in order to detect blood and skin diseases that an amniocentesis cant.
Fetal monitoring is used during late pregnancy and during labor to monitor the babys heart rate and other functions. If fetal heart monitoring with a Doppler ultrasound machine doesnt produce the wanted results, it may be necessary to use internal fetal monitoring, where an electrode is screwed into the fetus scalp after breaking the water and dilating the cervix. With internal monitoring, there is a higher risk of infection and a small cut on the babys head where the scalp electrode was inserted.
Some of the common diagnostic technology used in todays pregnancies like genetic counseling, ultrasounds, prenatal testing, in-vitro fertilization, and blood tests and screenings are noninvasive and do not cause harm to the unborn baby. However, a few of them are seen as controversial because they interfere with Mother Natures design.
Pros and cons
Compared to years ago, some technology used today in pregnancy might be viewed as unnecessary. Some of the medical advances used today do more harm than good, like dips in the babys heart rate on a fetal heart monitor leading to an unnecessary, sudden Cesarean section surgery that could have been avoided if the mother was left to labor as her body was meant to do naturally. In fact, every procedure or technology used during pregnancy and the labor and delivery process has a risk for both the mother and baby.
Three of the leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States hemorrhage, anesthesia, and infection are often the result of invasive medical interventions. In fact, studies show that the actual pregnancy-related death rate could be twice as high as what is reported today.
