Low-Risk Antenatal Care Enhanced by Telemedicine: A Practical Guideline Model

Abstract

Objective To develop a protocol for hybrid low-risk prenatal care adapted to Brazilian guidelines, merging reduced face-to-face consultations and remote monitoring. Methods The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched on telemedicine and antenatal care perspectives and adaptation of the low-risk prenatal care protocols recommended by the Ministry of Health and by the Brazilian Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Associations. Results Five relevant articles and three manuals were included in the review, for presented criteria to develop this clinical guideline. We identified, in these studies, that the schedule of consultations is unevenly distributed among the gestational trimesters, and ranges from 7 to 14 appointments. In general, the authors propose one to two appointments in the first trimester, two to three appointments in the second trimester, and two to six appointments in the third trimester. Only three studies included puerperal evaluations. The routine exams recommended show minimal variations among authors. To date, there are no validated Brazilian protocols for prenatal care by telemedicine. The included studies showed that pregnant women were satisfied with this form of care, and the outcomes of interest, except for hypertensive diseases, were similar between the groups exposed to traditional and hybrid prenatal care. Conclusion The presented guideline comprises the Ministry of Health recommendations for low-risk prenatal care and reduces exposure to the hospital environment and care costs. A randomized clinical trial, to be developed by this group, will provide real-world data on safety, effectiveness, satisfaction, and costs.

Auriculoterapia em gestantes: uma prática singular no manejo dos desconfortos gravídicos

“…As alterações corporais e emocionais na gravidez podem ser percebidas como patológicas quando os desconfortos ficam exacerbados, alterando seu estado físico e psicoemocional. Dentre as principais queixas gestacionais, estão: sialorréia, dor lombar, constipação, hemorroidas, edema, varizes, cãibras, náuseas e vômitos, dificuldades respiratórias, pirose, entre outras [3][4][5] . Por isso, é necessário a atuação do profissional de saúde a fim de validar as queixas da gestante e ajudá-la a entender sobre as modificações anatômicas e fisiológicas, aliviando assim dores, desconfortos, ansiedade e preocupação, segundo os trimestres gestacionais.…”