Dear Doctor ‘P’ 15

Send your questions to: pregnant@integral-advisory.com
Answers are provided jointly by our team of doctors

Our Team of Experts
Dr. Blasio Omuga
Lecturer, School of Nursing Sciences, University of Nairobi Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist Based at Doctors’ Plaza, Clinic No. 18, Kenyatta National Hospital

Dr. David Kiragu
A Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist Based at KAM Health Services IPS Building, 1st Floor, Kimathi Street. Nairobi

Dr. Weston Khisa
Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist Based at Hurlingham Family Health Clinic Nyaku House, Hurlingham. Nairobi

Dr. Kituyi Adelaide
Consultant Paediatrician Based at Afya Royal Clinics Uchumi Hyper, Mezz Floor, Ngong Road. Nairobi

If my last period was 16 October 2007, when is my due date? The other concern is that my last ultrasound scan indicated there was a leakage of amniotic fluid! Will low amount of amniotic fluid affect my pregnancy? Eunice -Dar-es-salaam

If the amniotic fluid leakage seals off, there will be no problem. However, if it persists, it may cause premature labour or inflammation. The baby may be affected because of low space volume, which denies the baby the freedom to move freely.

I am 21 and got married a year ago. I really want to see m firstborn, but I don’t know what the problem is. My periods are very irregular back in high school, that is, three years ago. They could come after two months. Then it did not bother me. After marriage, things changed. My periods have been coming after 40-45 days-still irregular, unlike the regular 28-day cycle. That makes me feel that I can’t conceive.

I visited my gynecologist and told her about my problem. She advised me to take family planning pills for three months to make my periods regular, but that scares me because I don’t want to get hooked to family planning pills.

I am still waiting for my period,my previous one having been on 12 March this year. Scan results show that my ovaries and uterus are okay-thank God. However, I can’t stop worrying about my irregular periods.

Doctor, please help with any advise or medication to make my periods regular. Kindly explain regular and irregular periods. Can my problem make me not to conceive?
Worried Lady-Mombasa

You have an interesting condition presenting with prolonged cycles. Normal cycles range from 21 to 35 days and tend to maintain the same duration for any particular woman. For instance, if one has a 26-day cycle, it tends to remain around 26 days.

Your situation could be as a result of oligomenorrhoea (scanty menstruation). This is caused by hormonal imbalance or a general disease in the body. These can result in absence of the ovulation cycle. Menstruation also tends to reduce in amount and in duration of flow.

Your condition should be fully investigated to establish the root cause. It is only after this that the right treatment can be administered to you.

With proper treatment, women do conceive. And after conception, the pregnancy must be well supported and properly cared for.

Can paternity test for a baby be done while the baby is still in the uterus? If yes, kindly give me an appropriate referral.  Anonymous

Paternity test for a baby can be done while the baby is still in the uterus. The following are used to determine it.

Amniocentesis (removal of some amniotic fluid) is done and cell debris retrieved after centrifugation. (rotation in a tube to get sediments). These are used for genetic compatibility studies.

Foetal blood is obtained through an amnioscope or scalp vein and the blood sample used for genetic studies. It can also be used to determine if the blood group matches with that of the father.

Foetal biopsy can also be done through the amnioscope (instruments used to visualize inside the amniotic cavity and the specimen used for genetic studies. These types of studies are possible in big hospitals in Kenya in liaison with cytologist (specialists of studies of abnormal cells in smears) present in those institutions.

However these procedures have significant risks for instance, amniocentisis may cause premature delivery and rarely foetal death. It is therefore difficult to justify just to achieve paternal confirmation.

I am three months pregnant and it is my first time. Which is the recommended time to start attending antenatal clinic? Please advise. I am confused. Anonymous

Antenatal clinic should best be started as early as possible-preferably before 16 weeks of the pregnancy. This is even more important because first pregnancies tend to have more complications. Many of the complications are however preventable through good antenatal care. Begin antenatal clinic immediately.
All the best.

END:PG15/06