A 13-year-old mother delivers a low-birth-weight neonate, and the neonate is transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit. Th
e mother reports receiving occasional prenatal care and has a history of excessive alcohol consumption. The growth and development of this neonate has been influenced by which of the following? Fetal development can be altered by prenatal factors such as maternal age (with risk greater in those younger than 15 years of age or older than 35 years of age), maternal substance abuse, inadequate prenatal care, and inadequate maternal nutrition.
Prenatal care, also known as antenatal care, is a type of preventive healthcare. Its goal is to provide regular check-ups that allow doctors or midwives to treat and prevent potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy and to promote healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child.
