Key Points
- 60 per cent of women attended antenatal care within the first three months of pregnancy.
- Those who are less likely to get to care in the first three months include women born overseas and young women.
- Regular screening can prevent early complications such as hypertension and pregnancy diabetes.
Antenatal care aims to improve health and prevent disease for both the pregnant woman and her baby.
The Executive Director at the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health in Melbourne, Dr Adele Murdolo, says seeing a health practitioner early in the pregnancy is associated with positive maternal and child health outcomes.
"[It's important to] book in early, as soon as you find out about your pregnancy and then having those regular appointments because antenatal care helps that health practitioner pick up whether there are any signs of any problems during the pregnancy," Dr Murdolo explains.
According to data published by the in 2021, 60 per cent of women attended antenatal care within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Dr Murdolo says show that migrant women access antenatal care at a much later point than other non-migrant women.
The Australian government recommends that women have their first antenatal care appointment within the 10-week period. But we know that even after 20 weeks, there is 20 per cent of migrant women who haven't accessed antenatal care.Dr Adele Murdolo, Executive Director at Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health, Melbourne.
These figures are from across Australia, "but when you look at some particular areas where there's more socioeconomic disadvantage, the rates are even lower," added Dr Murdolo.
She says there are some groups of migrant women in Australia who actually do not seek antenatal care at all.
Some groups of migrant women in Australia don't get any antenatal care. Source: Getty / Getty Images/Dean Mitchell
The earlier that condition or risk of that condition is picked up, the earlier you can take preventative action yourself, or the health practitioner can put in place some really good supports for the later pregnancy and for the birth.Dr Murdolo
Amanda Henry is an Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and an Obstetrician at St George Public Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney.
Prof Henry says, ideally the first pregnancy check-up, which is a consultation with a general practitioner (GP), should be within the first 10 weeks of pregnancy and definitely no later than the 14th week.
She says the routine tests in pregnancy include:
- ultrasounds,
- blood and urine tests, and
- other tests such as cervical screening, checking the blood pressure, checking on mental health
When a woman first finds out she's pregnant, most often she'll go to her GP to get that confirmed, and...the GP would usually do an initial assessment.Amanda Henry, Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at UNSW.
These preliminary assessments would usually include checking the woman's blood pressure and whether she's has any concerning health conditions that might affect the pregnancy, .
The GP would also order some blood and urine tests at this first visit.
They would then discuss the public and private care options with the woman.
Ultrasounds
The following ultrasounds are common in pregnancy:
- 8–9 weeks: dating scan
- 11–13 weeks: first trimester screen
- 18–20 weeks: morphology scan
- Extra ultrasounds beyond this may be recommended for high-risk pregnancies and/or to check on the baby's growth and wellbeing.
Regular screening can prevent early complications. Source: Getty / Getty Images/Chris Ryan
However, many women also have the dating scan and the first trimester scan.
The dating scan
This initial scan can detect how the pregnancy is progressing, whether it is in the right place or inside the uterus, or not— a condition called an ectopic pregnancy.
The first trimester scan
The 11-13 week scan comes under different names: "the nuchal translucency scan", "the first trimester screening scan" or "the early anatomy scan," explains Prof Henry.
"The overall purpose of that ultrasound is to screen for potential chromosome problems, in particular Down Syndrome and also to have an early look at the main structures of baby, like the very early brain development, kidneys, very early heart development," says Prof Henry.
"It’s ahead-of-time look at lots of things that will be looked at in more detail at the 18 to 20 week scan".
Only 50-65 per cent of all structural abnormalities in the baby would be picked up at the 20 week scan. Source: Getty / Getty Images/Karl Tapales
The morphology scan
The morphology scan is an ultrasound scan that examines many different areas in and around the baby, including their:
- spine,
- head and brain,
- abdominal wall,
- heart,
- stomach,
- kidneys and bladder,
- arms, legs hands and feet,
- placenta,
- umbilical cord, and
- amniotic fluid
Prof Henry says, overall, only between 50 to 65 per cent of all structural abnormalities in the baby would be picked up at the 20 week scan.
She says there isn’t a single test, or even a combination of tests, that can assure with 100 per cent certainty that the baby will be healthy.
Pregnant Women who don’t speak English can have an interpreter during antenatal consultation. Source: Getty / Getty Images/sturti
There is a certain percentage of stillbirth that can be prevented by very simple things that mums can do, that health practitioners can do at an early point.Dr Murdolo.
This is something that affects migrant women in particular, she emphasises.
"There are higher rates amongst migrant women more generally, and there are some groups that have a very high rate of stillbirth,"
Women who don’t speak English can request an interpreter for the duration of their antenatal care.
Protocols may vary in each state and territory, but generally women who need an interpreter need to let the antenatal clinic know when booking an appointment.
