Is a marriage check-up the same as a pre-pregnancy check-up?

The issue of premarital examination is most easily overlooked by people. Very few couples go to the hospital for a detailed examination before getting married. But here we remind all couples that premarital examination can be ignored, but pre-pregnancy examination must not be ignored. Before preparing to have a baby, both husband and wife should go to the hospital for a detailed examination to ensure that there are no problems with the body before preparing for pregnancy. If there are any problems, they should be treated in time. So what is the difference between premarital examination and pre-pregnancy examination?

Is a marriage check-up the same as a pre-pregnancy check-up?

Marriage check-ups include some examinations on reproductive health and genetic diseases, but prenatal check-ups have additional more targeted items. I think premarital medical examination is necessary and it is a responsibility to myself and my partner. The choice of prenatal check-up should be based on personal circumstances. You will feel more at ease if you have the check-up, but not having the check-up does not necessarily mean there will be a problem.

Main contents of premarital examination:

1. Personal health history and family history of direct blood relatives, to understand whether there is a history of genetic diseases and mental illnesses, etc. Women should also be asked about menstrual history, whether there is dysmenorrhea, etc.

2. Physical examination: including general examination and examination of important organs. It mainly checks whether there are any diseases in the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and reproductive system, including the development of the male penis, erectile ability, testicle size and hardness, etc.; the growth and development of the female vulva, the shape of the hymen, and if it is the closed type, surgery is required before marriage.

3. Auxiliary examinations, such as chest X-ray, ABO blood type, etc.

Pre-pregnancy check-ups are generally provided by hospitals, and there is probably no uniform standard for the items provided in different places. There is some overlap in the contents of premarital check-ups and pre-pregnancy check-ups, but they also have their own targeted check-ups, such as toxoplasmosis and herpes virus in pre-pregnancy check-ups. Some provinces have implemented free prenatal examinations on a pilot basis, which include health education, medical history inquiry, physical examination, vaginal secretion examination, routine blood test, routine urine test, blood glucose measurement, blood type, liver function test, five-item hepatitis B serum test, gonococcal test, Chlamydia trachomatis antibody test, Treponema pallidum antibody screening, human immunodeficiency virus antibody screening, rubella virus IGM antibody test, cytomegalovirus IGM antibody test, toxoplasma IGM antibody test, herpes simplex virus IGM antibody test and routine gynecological B-ultrasound examination.

Pre-pregnancy check-up items

First of all, a virological examination for intrauterine infection is needed: check for cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, rubella virus, herpes virus, etc. to determine the infection situation. If the antibody is found to be positive before pregnancy, for the health of the next generation, it is best to undergo treatment and regular monitoring under the guidance of a doctor, and consider pregnancy only after the antibody turns negative.

Secondly, both husband and wife should have blood drawn before pregnancy to check whether they are carrying the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B virus can cause intrauterine infection through the placenta, causing the fetus to become a hepatitis B virus carrier after birth.

In addition, it is best for women to have a gynecological examination before pregnancy. Some pathogenic microorganisms in the reproductive tract can also cause intrauterine infection of the fetus and affect the normal development of the fetus. If there is an infection, conception should be postponed and treatment should be given first.

Finally, women of childbearing age should also have an ultrasound examination before pregnancy to understand the basic condition of the uterus and appendages.