. Obstetrics for nurses. e-sults in greater vascularity of the pelvic joints and leads to their relaxation, which oc-casionally is so ex-treme as to interferewitli locomotion. The Skin.—Depositsof pigment in thedeeper layers of theskin appear not onlyin the areolae of thebreasts, but also in themid-line of the abdo-men, which, especiallyin its lower portion,becomes definitelydarker than the sur-rounding skin. Like-wise, irregular areasof the face and neckbecome pigmented andappear as light brownor yellowish condition is called doasma and is recognized by the laity asa sign of pr
. Obstetrics for nurses. e-sults in greater vascularity of the pelvic joints and leads to their relaxation, which oc-casionally is so ex-treme as to interferewitli locomotion. The Skin.—Depositsof pigment in thedeeper layers of theskin appear not onlyin the areolae of thebreasts, but also in themid-line of the abdo-men, which, especiallyin its lower portion,becomes definitelydarker than the sur-rounding skin. Like-wise, irregular areasof the face and neckbecome pigmented andappear as light brownor yellowish condition is called doasma and is recognized by the laity asa sign of pregnancy. All trace of such pigmentation graduallydisappears after delivery. The pigment concerned is an iron-containingsubstance, which is perhaps intended to serve as a reserve supply ofiron during the puerperium, when that element may be needed to replen-ish the blood lost during labor, as well as to supply the demands ofthe infant by way of the milk. The glands of the skin exhibit increased activity during pregnancy. Fig. 44.—Cloasma. (Cragin.) NORMAL PREGNANCY 69 and possibly relievo the kidneys of some of the excretory perspiration may be a daiiger signal and should not beignored. General Metabolism.—Pregnancy is no longer looked upon as a periodof tissue sacrifice on the part of the normal pregnant woman for thesake of her child, for careful observations have shown that she actuallygains in weight, exclusive of the enlargement of the various total gain is ordinarily about thirty pounds (ten to fifty pounds),but, as only one-half of it is accounted for by the hypertrophy of theuterus with its contents and the breasts, the remainder is scatteredthrough the body as a reserve material whifh may be called on duringlabor or lactation. Early in pregnancy there is frequently a slight loss of weight, asso-ciated with bodily and mental lassitude, but in the later months thepatient usually feels more robust in body and more normal in mindand begins
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectobstetrics, bookyear1
