Active Labor: Susan Wong Week 8
Mrs. Wong, a first-time mother, is admitted to the birthing suite in
early labor after spontaneous rupture of membranes at home. She
is at 38 weeks of gestation with a history of abnormal alphafetoprotein levels at 16 weeks of pregnancy.
She was scheduled for ultrasonography to visualize the fetus to
rule out an open spinal defect or Down syndrome, but never
followed through. Mrs. Wong and her husband disagreed about
what to do (keep or terminate the pregnancy) if the
ultrasonography indicated a spinal problem, so they felt they did
not want this information.
As the nurse, what priority data would you collect from this
couple to help define relevant interventions to meet their needs?
How can you help this couple if they experience a negative
outcome in the birthing suite? What are your personal views on
terminating or continuing a pregnancy with a risk of a potential
anomaly? What factors may influence your views?
With the influence of the recent Human Genome Project and the
possibility of predicting open spinal defects earlier in pregnancy,
how will maternity care change in the fut

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