Moderate psychosocial problems identified during early pregnancy in 78 women were found to predispose for various “complications” during gestation, but not for prematurity or obstetrical complications during delivery. However, from a normal postnatal status the children of these mothers demonstrated a significantly unfavorable somatic, as well as psychomotoric development, until the age of 4. Pregnant women with certain psychosocial problems must be early identified and property attended to in order to preclude an adverse child development.

This article assesses the potential value of an integrated medical/hospital information system (IMIS) for the members of the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization, and describes the preliminary results of a feasibility study questionnaire done in December 1989 at Salmaniya Medical Center (SMC) in the state of Bahrain.

Questions about the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in pregnancy are important in any overall evaluation of antenatal care. This article reviews the evidence as to the positive benefit on a range of pregnancy outcomes provided by 35 published and unpublished randomized controlled trials of psychosocial interventions.

Samples and methods vary in constructing birthweight charts. Introduction of ultrasound dating affects the distribution of gestation, increases the proportion of preterm births, and reduces postterm and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births. The need for standardized charts is emphasized. Preferably such charts ought to be sex- and parity-specific, also taking into account the mother's previous pregnancy outcome in terms of birthweight. The risks associated with being bom SGA involve various morbidity as well as short- and long-term survival.

Antenatal risk factors in combination with symphysis-fundus distance can identify pregnancies with small infants, who can be divided in genetically small, malformed, and malnourished infants. Only the last category benefit from fetal surveillance. Maternal diseases, pregnancy complications (hypertension), and environmental factors (smoking) are connected to malnourished small infants.

The development of various symphysis fundus (SF) growth charts and the use of SF height measurements in the diagnosis of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) births and the prediction of newborn complications are reviewed. Measurement precision and accuracy are also discussed. It is concluded that further research of this simple, low cost, harmless, and widespread technology to detect fetal growth disturbances in routine prenatal care is warranted.