Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification 2025 Practice Exam – The All-in-One Guide for Guaranteed Success!

Conducting a glucose tolerance test around 20 weeks of gestation serves the primary purpose of screening for gestational diabetes. During pregnancy, hormonal changes can increase insulin resistance, making some women prone to hyperglycemia. The glucose tolerance test helps to identify those who may develop gestational diabetes, allowing for early intervention and management to reduce risks to both the mother and the developing fetus. Early detection is crucial as gestational diabetes can lead to complications such as large birth weight, increased risk of cesarean delivery, and potential for glucose intolerance later in life for both mother and child.

The other options do not align with the purpose of this test. Assessing fetal heart function is typically done through methods like non-stress tests or fetal heart rate monitoring, rather than a glucose tolerance test. Evaluating potential birth defects involves imaging techniques or specific blood tests aimed at identifying anomalies, not glucose testing. Monitoring blood pressure can be done via routine clinical assessments and is not related to the glucose tolerance test, focusing instead on conditions like preeclampsia. Thus, the glucose tolerance test is specifically tailored to address the risk of gestational diabetes during pregnancy.