Clinical Practice Guidelines Antenatal Care — Module II

National Evidence-Based Antenatal Care Guidelines — Module II

ISBN: 978-1-76007-008-3

Online ISBN: 978-1-76007-009-0 

Publications approval number: 10848

Copyright Statements:

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© Commonwealth of Australia 2014

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© Commonwealth of Australia 2014

This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce the whole or part of this work in unaltered form for your own personal use or, if you are part of an organisation, for internal use within your organisation, but only if you or your organisation do not use the reproduction for any commercial purpose and retain this copyright notice and all disclaimer notices as part of that reproduction. Apart from rights to use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 or allowed by this copyright notice, all other rights are reserved and you are not allowed to reproduce the whole or any part of this work in any way (electronic or otherwise) without first being given the specific written permission from the Commonwealth to do so. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights are to be sent to the Communication Branch, Department of Health, GPO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, or via e-mail to copyright@health.gov.au.

Publication Approval

These guidelines were approved by the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) on 27 June 2014 (with a minor amendment approved by the CEO on 27 March 2015), under Section 14A of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992.  In approving these guidelines the NHMRC considers that they meet the NHMRC standard for clinical practice guidelines. This approval is valid for a period of 5 years.

NHMRC is satisfied that they are based on the systematic identification and synthesis of the best available scientific evidence and makes clear recommendations for health professionals practising in an Australian health care setting.

This publication reflects the views of the authors and not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.

Disclaimer

This is a general guide to appropriate practice, to be followed subject to the relevant clinician’s judgement in each individual case. The Commonwealth has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the Guidelines are based on, and accurately represent, the best available published evidence on key areas of antenatal care.

However, the Commonwealth does not accept any legal liability for any loss, damage costs or expenses that may result from reliance on the information and recommendations contained in these Guidelines.

Suggested Citation

Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council 2014, Clinical Practice Guidelines: Antenatal Care – Module II

Foreword

Module I addressed many of the topics that are specific to the care of pregnant women in their first trimester. This Module addresses further topics relevant to the first trimester as well as many issues that relate to care later in a women’s pregnancy including the content of antenatal education, lifestyle and dietary advice and clinical assessments. Module II also contains a number of key aspects of contemporary antenatal care including screening for haemoglobin disorders, Group B streptococcus and diabetes and the care of women who have a breech presentation towards the end of pregnancy or whose pregnancies are prolonged.

We were also pleased to be able to convene a Working Group for Migrant and Refugee Women’s Antenatal Care. This Working Group advised on an expanded section related to care for women from refugee and migrant communities. Module II also again drew upon the expertise and advice from the Working Group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Antenatal Care. We are very grateful to the members of both these working parties for their valuable advice and guidance.

As in Module I, the Guidelines summarise published evidence and make recommendations on key areas of antenatal care. The development of the draft Guidelines has followed the key principles and processes outlined in the document NHMRC Standards and Procedures for Externally Developed Guidelines (2007). In areas for which there is insufficient evidence for recommendations, the Guidelines include practice points that are based on best practice clinical judgement. To provide guidance in a single resource, recommendations from Module I have also been included. Expert input from the two working groups has ensured that the recommendations are relevant and culturally appropriate.

The Guidelines are not meant to be a textbook of antenatal care. The management of conditions identified through the screening procedures addressed in this module is not discussed; health professionals are directed to appropriate resources where available.

The Guidelines are intended as a resource for all health professionals working with women in the antenatal period. They will be relevant to the work of a variety of health professionals in many different settings. Women should be at the centre of care, wherever it is provided.

It is anticipated that the Guidelines will contribute to greater consistency in antenatal care and improve the experience and outcomes of antenatal care for women and their families.

Module I and II have had a long gestation formally starting in 2008. We would like to sincerely thank all those who travelled this long journey to ensure that national guidelines for the care of pregnant women became a reality. In particular, we thank the members of the Expert Advisory Committee, the secretariat, working groups, technical writers, project officers and the many members of the professional and consumer communities who took the time and made the effort to respond to the public consultations as part of the development process.