Table 3.

Prenatal Care and Delivery

• Establish a census or registry for identifying pregnant and postpartum women

• Identify the patient’s last monthly period or estimated date of conception

• Identify high-risk pregnancies

• Identify or establish prenatal care centers

• Identify appropriate labor and delivery health care facilities that have the ability to perform cesarean deliveries and have available blood products and resources to perform neonatal resuscitation

• Inform pregnant women about the signs and symptoms of normal labor and instructions to follow during an emergency

• Administer tetanus toxoid to all pregnant patients

• Ensure the availability of clean water for pregnant and lactating women

• Encourage and support lactation

Adapted from Recommendations for prenatal care and delivery care in emergencies. Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Web site. http://new.paho.org/disasters/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=738&pop=1&page=0&Itemid=800. Accessed February 25, 2011.