Pregnancy

Details

Title

Pregnancy

Type

Stage Two

Module code

HLS134

Requirement

Compulsory

Module objective

By the end of the training period trainees will, in respect of competencies in the clinical biochemistry of pregnancy, be able to:

• analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply knowledge
• perform a range of technical and clinical skills and procedures
• demonstrate the attitudes and behaviours necessary for professional practice as a consultant clinical scientist dealing with the complexities, uncertainties and tensions of professional practice at this level.

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise relevant knowledge and its application to their professional practice in relation to:

• the normal physiology and clinical biochemistry of maternal and fetal development in pregnancy including gestational hormonal changes
• the causes, investigation, diagnosis, monitoring and management of the complications of pregnancy for example hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma
• the key principles and criteria for the establishing effective pre-natal screening programmes and the current UK provision of pre-natal screening for conditions such as Down’s syndrome, fetal malformations, neural tube defects
• the benefits and risks of screening for gestational diabetes
• the key principles and criteria for establishing effective neonatal screening programmes and the current UK provision of neonatal screening for inherited metabolic diseases such as phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, diabetes and congenital liver disease
• the causes, investigation, diagnosis, monitoring and management of inherited metabolic diseases such as phenylketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism, haemoglobinopathies, and cystic fibrosis. 

Students’ written evaluations of their practice should demonstrate new insights into the application of current theories of clinical biochemistry screening to normal or complex situations in pregnancy.

Technical and clinical skills

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of current relevant research, theory and knowledge and its application to the performance of the following technical procedures and laboratory skills:

• the technical aspects of investigation of maternal and fetal diseases in pregnancy
• the results of laboratory investigations of routine biochemical tests during normal pregnancy
• the results of biochemical tests derived from the investigation of diseases of pregnancy, the complications of pregnancy, and fetal diseases in pregnancy
• the statistical and ethical issues surrounding pre-natal screening
• the results of laboratory investigations derived from pre-natal screening
• the statistical and ethical issues surrounding neonatal screening
• the results of laboratory investigations derived from neonatal screening. 

Students will be expected to reflect on the challenges of applying research to practice in relation to these procedures and suggest improvements, building on a critique of available evidence.

By the end of the training period trainees will, in respect of the competencies in the clinical biochemistry of pregnancy, be able to perform the clinical skills necessary to manage under supervision:

• appropriate specimen collection, specimen handling, investigation, diagnosis, monitoring and management of biochemical tests derived during normal pregnancy, the complications of pregnancy, pre-natal and neonatal screening investigations and programmes
• the development of maternal or fetal diseases during pregnancy based on triggers of unusual patterns of results
• the principles and outcomes of effective pre-natal and neonatal screening programmes.

Students will be required in partnership with the clinical team to identify areas of current practice that could be improved and design and evaluate a suitable intervention based on a critical review of evidence to improve practice.