All the thoughts of a pregnant woman about only one thing - about the future baby. She already cares about his comfort and dreams that the baby should be born strong and healthy. In order for the baby to develop correctly, and the birth went smoothly and without complications, all the processes in the baby’s body and in the future mother’s body must proceed as expected, without failures. However, violations do occur. One reason may be hypoxia. What it is? A natural question that worries future mothers. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of hypoxia is far from uncommon. That is why expectant mothers should know about such a deviation.
Hypoxia - what is it and what are the causes of the violation?
Fetal hypoxia is a combination of changes in the fetus due to a lack of oxygen. Such a violation is not independent, but occurs as a result of various pathological processes that can develop in the body of a future mother, fetus, or placenta. During planned visits, the gynecologist should tell expectant mothers about such an abnormality as hypoxia, what are the causes and consequences of oxygen starvation.
Factors that can provoke hypoxia are quite numerous. These are mainly disorders in the mother's body:
- Anemia is a disease in which red blood cells in an insufficient volume deliver oxygen to the tissues of the body.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- Disorders of the respiratory system (bronchitis, asthma and others).
- Diabetes.
- Disorders of the kidneys.
Also, hypoxia of the brain in newborns can develop due to deviations from the fetal-placental blood flow:
- The threat of premature birth.
- Postponed pregnancy.
- Abnormal course of labor.
- Pathology of the umbilical cord and placenta.
Fetal diseases that can lead to hypoxia are as follows:
- Intrauterine infection.
- Malformations.
- Head squeezing during childbirth.
- Incompatibility of the blood group of the fetus and mother.
Fetal hypoxia: consequences
Oxygen starvation can provoke a malfunction in the whole body. At different stages of pregnancy, hypoxia has various consequences for the unborn baby. If this condition is diagnosed in the early stages of pregnancy, then this can provoke an abnormal development of the fetus. In the later stages, oxygen deficiency leads to damage to the fetal nervous system , growth retardation, and a decrease in the adaptive abilities of the newborn. If the oxygen supply is insufficient, a change in metabolic processes occurs. All systems and organs begin to work in a more active mode. First of all, the fetus tries to provide vital organs with the necessary oxygen (heart, brain, kidneys), this leads to intestinal hypoxia and, as a result, meconium (original feces) is released. But with prolonged oxygen starvation, the baby's body weakens and is unable to withstand the adverse effects. First of all, the nervous system is affected, since it is the nervous tissue that becomes the main object of the pathological effect of oxygen deficiency.
Minor hypoxia, as a rule, does not affect the health of the unborn baby. In severe hypoxia, ischemia and necrosis can occur in various tissues, which provokes irreversible consequences.
Hypoxia treatment
If oxygen deficiency is detected, treatment should be started immediately. The expectant mother is sent to a diagnostic center to identify the causes of hypoxia and to examine the fetus. Normalization of metabolic processes and blood circulation is carried out on an outpatient basis. In chronic hypoxia, it is recommended that a quiet bed rest be observed to improve blood flow to the pregnant woman’s uterus. The use of medications is aimed at relaxing the muscles of the uterus and the expansion of the vessels of the placenta.
If complex therapy has not yielded positive results and the condition of the fetus worsens, with a gestational age of more than 28 weeks, a decision is made on emergency delivery through a caesarean section.
Today, a fairly common complication during pregnancy is hypoxia. What is it, what are the causes and consequences of this phenomenon, every expectant mother should know.