Obstetric Medicine aims to provide optimal medical care to woman with medical conditions that precede or develop during pregnancy. There is an increase in the prevalence of chronic medical conditions in woman of child bearing age including chronic hypertension and type 2 diabetes. In addition, woman with more rare conditions such as lupus, congenital heart disease, chronic renal insufficiency, and organ transplantation are choosing to carry a pregnancy. All these conditions require adjustment of investigations and management for optimal fetal development and prevention of maternal complications.
During the preconceptional period or during pregnancy, a specialist in Obstetric Medicine is commonly consulted for the management of several chronic conditions in pregnancy including chronic hypertension, type 1 and 2 diabetes, thyroid disorders, asthma, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, epilepsy, renal disease, congenital and acquired cardiac disease and venous thromboembolism. During pregnancy and the early post-partum period, consultations may include medical problems related to pregnancy including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, infection, palpitations, cardiomyopathy, headaches and obstetric cholestasis. Several international associations including ISOM, NASOM, MOM, SOMANZ have developed in response to this need. GÉMOQ is another such initiative in French language.
