Starting and building a family is one of the biggest milestones in most of our lives. It is the excitement of meeting a potential life partner and committing to experience life together, starting a family, the joy of welcoming a little baby into the world and ensuring the best care is provided to these tiny “bundles of joy”, who will now take up the biggest space in our hearts (and beds!).
Ah, the journey of parenting, just as Forrest Gump aptly said, life is like a box of chocolate, you’ll never know what you’ll get; truly, we will really never know what kind of curveballs, pregnancies and children throw us until we are standing right smack at the junction.
For many new parents, often we are slapped with one too many medical terms that are a strange language to us. Thankfully with the help of modern technology, knowledge is always available at the tip of our fingers. Here we are sharing some complications and conditions that are commonly heard during pregnancy and childbirth.
Eclampsia
Eclampsia is a severe complication of preeclampsia that only occurs during pregnancy where high blood pressure results in seizures. Many of the pregnancies affected by preeclampsia or eclampsia are first pregnancies; if undiagnosed, the condition can put the mother and her baby at risk as seizures can result in coma, brain damage, and maternal and/or infant death. A pregnant woman who is diagnosed with preeclampsia will be closely monitored by her doctor and would require a change in diet. While there is no way to cure preeclampsia except for delivery, doctors will often prescribe medication for high blood pressure to prevent seizures. Commonly, a caesarean delivery is required to avoid a rise in blood pressure during childbirth. Signs and symptoms of preeclampsia will go away after delivering the baby, although in some cases, they can last up to 6 weeks.
Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE)
AFE happens when the amniotic fluid – the fluid surrounding the unborn baby in the womb – enters the mother’s bloodstream. The complication can happen during labor, shortly after giving birth, abortion, or amniocentesis (extraction of small sample of amniotic fluid) and can cause lasting effects on both mother and baby. AFE can be fatal as deaths occur due to cardiac arrest, rapid respiratory failure, excessive blood loss, and multiple organ failure. As for the infants who do survive, they would suffer, they would suffer long-term complications from AFE, such as Cerebral Palsy.
Neonatal Jaundice
Jaundice is a condition where the newborn baby’s skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow due to the high production of bilirubin and the liver is unable to get rid of it quick enough. It is very common in newborns and over time, the baby’s body will learn to deal with the bilirubin and it will disappear. However, babies with severe jaundice may appear to be very tired and cranky, and he or she feeds poorly too; this can be detrimental because if the baby doesn’t feed often enough, he will not be able to pass stool and urine – together with the bilirubin. The high level of bilirubin in the baby can be harmful and affect the baby’s brain cells. Severe jaundice can cause seizures or lead to deafness, cerebral palsy, or serious developmental delay.
Down’s Syndrome (DS/DNS)
DS is a genetic disorder where an error in cell division called “nondisjunction” occurs; instead of 2 copies of chromosome 21, the person has 3. The condition typically impacts the appearance, learning ability, and behavior of a child with DS. However, the state of health of each person with DS differs from one to another; some are healthy while others may struggle with certain health problems such as obesity, heart and gastrointestinal defects, spinal problems, etc.
Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when the tissue of a baby’s upper lip or roof of the mouth (palate) do not form properly. Children with cleft lip or palate often face problems with feeding, speech, hearing loss, dental, and ear infections. This condition can be corrected with surgeries. Most children with clefts do well and lead a healthy and normal life with proper treatments.
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
CP is actually a group of disorders that affects the brain and impairs a person’s muscle movements and coordination, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is a common motor disability in childhood. It could happen before, during, or shortly after birth and can end up a lifetime disability; in most cases, the exact cause of CP is not known. Possible causes include severe jaundice in the infant, lack of oxygen to the brain during labor and delivery, maternal infections, and brain infections, head injuries as a result of accident, abuse, or instrument-related injury (forceps injury or vacuum extraction injury) during delivery, etc. Most children do not show signs of a disorder until months or years later.
And The List Goes On…
To learn about all these medical complications can be overwhelming for parents. While there is no running away from the possible risks of pregnancies, parents can however take a proactive step towards protecting both mother and child earlier on in pregnancy with the help of established insurance providers such as Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad (Prudential), who provides an insurance solution for expecting mothers and children, called PRUMy child plus.
- Protecting Your Baby As Early As 14-Weeks
PRUMy child plus is a comprehensive insurance solution offered by Prudential, it is equipped with prenatal care & newborn care, critical illnesses, medical, accidental and payor riders. PRUMy Child Plus protects your baby as early as 14 weeks into pregnancy and speaking as a mother, this is a crucial layer of protection as anything can happen in those 9 long months while the baby is still in the womb. - Pre-Natal & Newborn Coverage
PRUMy child plus not only offers pregnancy care benefits, it also covers newborn conditions including neonatal jaundice as well as other congenital conditions up to age 5 years old. Upon diagnosis of neonatal jaundice that requires phototherapy treatment, a lump sum of RM500 or RM1000 (depending on the plan) will be paid out. - Coverage For IVF Pregnancies
Here’s the exciting bit! PRUMy child plus is the first and only pre-natal policy available in the market to accept pregnancies from IVF treatment (subject to underwriting requirements), and that is great news seeing how IVF pregnancies are becoming very common, yet not without its own set of risks. - Easy & Simple Enrolment (EASE)
Mothers who have already had a fully underwritten PRUMy child plus policy can now easily cover their next pregnancy under the EASE process (T&C applies), and that means a huge time and money saver, not to mention peace of mind too.
Celebrate Life Hand In Hand
No doubt, pregnancy, and childbirth can cause headaches and heartaches on so many levels, but we need not go through this stressful but joyful journey alone. Rest with ease now with the availability of comprehensive insurance coverage such as PRUMy child plus even before your child arrives safely in your arms.
If you buy PRUMy child plus now and add on a critical illness rider, (Essential Child Plus and/or Crisis Care), you will receive*:
- FREE additional 50% coverage on the Critical Illnesses Sum Assured (for Essential Child Plus and/or Crisis Care rider) for 3 years!
- In the 3rd year policy, you’ll have the option to convert it to permanent coverage with no questions asked, with steps as simple as a few clicks via your trusty smartphone!
*Refer the Terms and Conditions HERE.
So be sure to speak your Prudential agent today! Click HERE to find out more about PRUMy child plus and all its benefits!
This article is sponsored by Prudential.