High Risk Pregnancy

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High Risk Pregnancy

The term “high-risk pregnancy” means that there is a higher risk of complications, potentially putting the life or health of the mother or her baby in danger. This diagnosis put couples under stress, but it only means that the pregnancy will require closer monitoring.

It is estimated that up to 8% of all pregnancies are deemed high-risk, which means that they have an increased risk of complications that can endanger the health of a mother and her baby

A pregnancy can be high risk under three circumstances-

  • When there are pre-existing risk factors like, obesity, diabetes, Age more than 35 years or less than 19 years, other medical conditions like thyroid disorders, High blood pressure, Polycystic ovary syndrome, genetic blood conditions like thalassemia, Sickle cell Disease, Lupus, Alcohol, tobacco or drug addiction.
  • When complications occur in an otherwise normal pregnancy– for example- High blood pressure arising after onset of pregnancy (Pre-eclampsia), Gestational Diabetes, Bleeding in pregnancy, excessive or decreased amniotic fluid in the baby’s Sac.
  • The pregnancy itself is inherently high risk from the beginning- like multifetal pregnancy- twins or triplets, fetus with some abnormalities like heart or kidney problem, Placenta previa, previous preterm birth, previous recurrent pregnancy loss or miscarriages, an incompetent cervix, when pregnancy is associated with pre-existing uterine tumors called fibroids.

Can a high risk pregnancy be prevented?

It is not always possible to prevent a high risk pregnancy, but the risk factors can be modified by ensuring–

  • Adequate control of medical conditions like diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid disorder
  • A pre-conception visit to your OBG to make sure all is Ok and do the recommended prenatal testing
  • Some conditions may require a surgery like laparoscopy for fibroids removal, cerclage of the cervix.