Multiple choice

Maternal physiologic adaptations to pregnancy include all of the following except ________.

  1. vasodilatation

  2. increased tidal volume

  3. decreased renal glomerular filtration

  4. darkening of the skin on the cheeks

  5. increase in plasma volume
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Renal glomerular filtration increases rather than decreases during pregnancy. Consider that during pregnancy the maternal circulating blood volume increases and along with that comes an increase in the renal blood flow simply because of the increased volume. An increase in renal blood flow correlates with an increase in the glomerular filtration rate. Filtration increases by as much as 50% by mid-pregnancy.

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