CLINICAL MONITORING OF PREGNANCY: MATERNAL–FETAL RISK ASSESSMENT, SCREENING, AND ANTENATAL MANAGEMENT

Background. Antenatal care is a longitudinal clinical process in which maternal risk, fetal development, placental function, and pregnancy-specific complications must be reassessed as gestation progresses. A uniform schedule is insufficient for all pregnancies because risk evolves dynamically and may emerge after an apparently normal first assessment. Objective. To synthesize  contemporary evidence on maternal–fetal risk stratification, prenatal screening, trimester-specific  surveillance, and escalation of antenatal care, with emphasis on the distinction between screening,  diagnostic testing, and fetal surveillance. Methods.