[Preventive medical check-ups during pregnancy in Austria]

The basis of the preventive medical management during pregnancy in Austria is the mother-child pass which documents all examinations serving to monitor the normal course of pregnancy. Progress during the last few years has shown that regular medical preventive check-ups during pregnancy demonstrably lead to a reduction of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The aim of these preventive pregnancy check-ups is--in addition to the registration of high-risk pregnancies which need an intensified supervision--the earliest identification possible of pregnancy-induced diseases in order to be able to monitor and treat them adequately. In Austria, these medical check-ups during pregnancy are required for the mother to receive the full child care benefit also from the 21st month of life onwards. For this, 5 prenatal preventive check-ups are absolutely necessary. In addition, ultrasound examinations between the 18th and 22nd and between the 30th and 34th weeks of pregnancy are recommended. Any further tests, like ultrasonography during the 1st trimester, nuchal translucency screening, combined test, invasive diagnostics (amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling) or the oral glucose tolerance test, are not part of the current concept of prevention according to the mother-child pass; however, they are an option in the case of certain indications or at the request of the expectant mother.