What Is a HIGH RISK Pregnancy?
A few surprises along the way are normal for every pregnancy. What’s not normal is when surprises put the health of the baby and mother at risk.
Several factors can make a pregnancy more complicated for the mom and her baby. It’s important for expecting moms to work with their doctors to identify these issues and track them throughout the pregnancy.
When Mom Has a Health Condition
One of the first things doctors want to know is if a mother-to-be has a preexisting medical condition. Some factors that can complicate a pregnancy are:
- Lupus
- Asthma
- Sickle cell anemia
- Thyroid disease.
Age is another factor. Women who will be age 35 or older at the time of delivery are considered high risk. One concern for these expectant mothers is a higher risk of genetic abnormalities than there is with younger moms.
When New Problems Arise
Some health problems can develop during pregnancy and cause complications. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a type of diabetes that occurs only in pregnancy.
High blood pressure, or preeclampsia, is another concern. Also called “toxemia of pregnancy,” it affects up to 4% of all pregnancies.
Twins: Why They Can Be Risky
Expecting twins is also considered a high-risk pregnancy. Here are some of the concerns:
- Preeclampsia is three times more common in women expecting twins than in women expecting one child.
- Twins have a higher occurrence of preterm births, which may put babies at a higher risk for complications.
June/July 2006 A Healthy Tomorrow
