the normal development of pregnancy

Learning Outcomes
Successful completion of this assignment should allow you to:
– Identify information relevant to the topic
– Structure a written article to effectively convey the information in an organised and
logical fashion
– Integrate information obtained from a variety of sources
– Discuss the normal development of pregnancy and the expected changes to maternal
body systems. Rationalise how these changes are important for paramedic practice.
– Broaden your understanding of the relationships between body systems.
Assignment Requirements
A 2000 word assignment exploring the normal development of pregnancy, the impact
pregnancy has on key body systems, and how the body compensates for the changes
that occur.
It is expected you will obtain your information from a range of sources including text
books and a minimum of 5 journal articles. Accessing journal articles will ensure you
read the primary source of information, rather than relying on the interpretation provided
in a text book.
Due: 2nd November 2015 – 11pm (2300hrs) Topic Weighting : 25%
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The assignment should be structured to answer the following Questions.
The focus is the maternal impact of pregnancy (during gestation) – do not discuss
changes occurring during labour or postpartum.
1. What is the rationale/reason for reproduction, what does it require and what
does it mean for us as humans? (5 marks)
– ie provide a brief overview of the biological basis/rationale for reproduction
2. What are the 3 stages of Normal Pregnancy and how do they relate to foetal
development? (5 marks);
– ie provide a brief overview of normal pregnancy and describe how it links with the
3-stages of prenatal development
3. What are the key structural and functional changes that occur to the maternal
reproductive, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal systems and how do they
impact on the mother? (15 marks)
– ie describe the structural changes to the reproductive organs necessary to support
the developing foetus and what this means for the mother
– ie describe how and why changes occur to the musculoskeletal system and what
this means for the mother
– ie describe the changes that occur to the gastrointestinal system and identify the
key symptoms the mother may experience
4. What are the key adaptations of the cardiovascular system that occur during
pregnancy? (20 marks)
ie consider the following;
– Haemodynamic changes involving;
 blood (ie volume and composition)
 cardiac output
 blood pressure
– Physical changes to the heart
– Changes to maternal coagulation and haemostasis
5. What are the key adaptations of the respiratory system that occur during
pregnancy? (20 marks)
ie consider the following;
– Changes in respiratory function related to;
 mechanical factors
 hormonal factors
 foetal demands
– Lung volume/function related changes
– Acid/base changes
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6. What are the key adaptations of the renal system that occur during pregnancy?
(20 marks)
ie consider the following;
– Structural changes
– Changes in renal haemodynamics
– Fluid and electrolyte homeostasis
7. When considering how the maternal body adapts to pregnancy, what are the key
interactions between body systems that you think are most important? (5
marks)
– ie provide an overview describing how the body as a whole compensates during
pregnancy, linking key responses of the different body systems discussed.
Hints
 There is a lot of information you can provide for each area and you only have
2000 words (+/- 10%). You will need to decide what’s important and provide
this information in a logical, concise manner being careful not to repeat
yourself. Make sure you use the mark allocation to determine how you
distribute your words.
 Consider developing sub-headings within each of these sections to help
organise your information and to limit repetition. Headings are NOT included
in the word count.
 Consider using diagrams or figures to help explain information.
Diagrams/figures do NOT add to your word count, but you should refer to
them actively in the text (ie Figure one shows….) – don’t just put them into
your document without reference to them.
 Make sure you reference your sources accurately and consistently. Use the
Author/date (Harvard) system. In-text citations and the reference
list/bibliography are NOT included in the word count.
Literature Searching
It is expected that some of the information you use for this assignment will come from journal
articles.
A good way to find journal articles initially is to look at the reference list in specialist text
books. One text book you might consider for this assignment is:
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Blackburn, Susan Tucker. Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Physiology, 2007 (3rd Ed),
Saunders Elsevier. (more recent editions would be just as good if available)
You can also find the journal articles you need by searching the United States National
Library of Medicine database using the PubMed search engine. You can also use the search
engines available through the library.
The link to PubMed is:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
Before you start using PubMed, it is strongly recommended you visit the PubMed Tutorial
page:
www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/pubmed_tutorial/m2017.html
Handy Hints:
– putting the search items between “parenthesis” will limit the search
– check out the “review” and “free full text” tabs on the right hand side of the results
page
o the “review” tab will list those articles identified as reviews – these are good
starting points
o the “free full text” tab will list those articles you can link to from PubMed and
obtain for free
– search the Flinders University Library e-catalogue for articles you cannot get free from
PubMed – if the Uni subscribes to the journal you can generally obtain the article
– search results can be down loaded for importing into EndNote
Referencing
The Bachelor of Paramedic Science staff stipulate that students utilise the Harvard System.
Full details of this system can be sought from the Student Learning Centre’s web address or
by following the links below.
Students who are having any difficulties, or are not sure of how to reference correctly, should
contact the topic coordinator or the Student Learning Centre.
All submitted work should be referenced unless otherwise stated.
Internet sites such as Wikipedia are gaining in popularity because of the ease and general
nature of the information they provide. However, when conducting research for assignments
etc., it should be borne in mind that such sites are not regarded as peer-reviewed sources
and should not be cited in your reference lists. An article, from Berkeley University,
explaining how to evaluate web sites is provided:
https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html