High Risk Pregnancy

What is High-Risk Pregnancy?

You can say pregnancy is a high-risk pregnancy when it involves the potentiality of future complications that can affect the baby, mother or both. A high-risk pregnancy is different from normal pregnancies and requires extra care and concern. Pregnancy becomes a high-risk pregnancy when there are some complications in the mother or the baby that can create medical issues in the future. So to avoid any difficulty in pregnancy, it is essential to take the help of a specialist. The specialist will follow special monitoring and care methods to control any health problem before, during or after delivery.

Everything You Need to Know About High-Risk Pregnancy

Pre-existing factors | Causes in Babies | When to see | Tests | Symptoms | Risk Factors | Prevention | Causes | Treatment

Pre-existing factors for a high-risk pregnancy

Some pre-existing conditions can indicate complications during pregnancy. These complications are related to the mother’s health and can affect the pregnancy. These conditions are:

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a hormonal problem that can result in an irregular mensuration cycle and the ovaries’ improper functioning. So if you have PCOS while you are pregnant, there is an increased chance of premature delivery. Apart from that, a higher risk of miscarriage, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes comes along with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Kidney problem

It is seen that women having kidney problems are at high risk of miscarriages. In this case, proper assistance is required from a specialist who can guide you at every stage of your pregnancy. If you have a kidney problem and you are planning to conceive, talk to the specialist beforehand to become rest assured about your health.

Thyroid disease

If you have an uncontrollable overactive or hyperactive thyroid, it can result in heart failure or poor weight gain in the fetus. Also, it can lead to congenital disabilities. If you are someone with these medical issues, consult a doctor at the earliest.

Uterine fibroids

Even though uterine fibroid is a common problem, it can cause premature delivery or miscarriage in some cases. In the case of fibroid blocking the birth canal, the doctor may recommend a cesarean delivery.

Asthma

An uncontrolled asthma problem can lead to a risk of premature delivery and poor fetal growth.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure in pregnant women can lead to various problems in the baby. These include preterm delivery, low birth weight infant, preeclampsia during pregnancy, and kidney damage.

Other Causes in Mother

Heart diseases in mother, Pregnancy in Rh-negative mother, Mother with diabetes or who develops diabetes in pregnancy ( known as Gestational diabetes.) and Obstetric Cholestasis to name a few.

Sub Treatments For Pregnancy Care

Causes in Babies that lead to High-Risk pregnancy can be:

• Twin or Multiple pregnancies
• Intrauterine Growth Restriction or Low birth weight baby
• Large for dates baby ( pregnancies where baby weight is more than normal)
• History of repeated miscarriages or IVF conceptions

When to See a Doctor

It is imperative to look for a doctor when you notice any unusual symptoms like:

• Dizziness
• Fever and chills
• Swelling in different parts of the body
• Change in fetal movement ( decreased or excessive)
• Watery vaginal discharge and Vaginal bleeding
• Blurry vision and extreme headache
• Suicidal thoughts
• Constant pain and cramping in the lower abdominal area
• Pain during urination
• Nausea and vomiting

High-Risk Pregnancy Tests

The following are the typical test that your doctor may carry out in case you are suffering from a high-risk pregnancy:

• Special ultrasound: This is an imaging technique that produces an image of the baby in the uterus with high-frequency sound. The process helps suspect problems relating to abnormal development. 
• Ultrasound for cervical length: Here an ultrasound method is used to measure the size of the mother’s cervix and determine the possibility of preterm labor. 
• Prenatal cell-free DNA screening: The doctor may carry out this process to see an increase in chromosome problems. For this, he may collect the DNA from the mother and the fetus from a maternal blood sample. 
• Genetic screening: The doctor may also recommend amniocentesis or chronic Villus sampling (CVS). These tests help to determine any genetic issue as well as severe brain or spinal cord abnormalities. 

Symptoms of high-risk pregnancy

The following are the symptoms of high-risk pregnancy, and if you are going through any of these, you should consult the doctor immediately:

• You may experience vaginal bleeding.
• Have fluid leaking from your vagina. It is an emergency and requires immediate attention. 
• Continuous pelvic pressure and back or abdominal pain
• You may lose consciousness.
• Unbearable pain in the belly or pelvis
• No movement in the baby.
• Sudden swelling in hand, face or feet 

Risk Factors for High-risk Pregnancy

The specific risk factor that may lead to high-risk pregnancy are:

• Lifestyle choice: If you have a habit of smoking or drinking, or using drugs, it can lead to a high-risk pregnancy.
• Older maternal age: High-risk pregnancy may occur in women who have crossed the age of 35. 
• Multiple pregnancies: The women may be under the threat of high-risk pregnancy if the mother is carrying twin or higher-order multiples. 
• Pregnancy history: In case the mother is suffering from preeclampsia, or have given birth to a premature baby the last time, then you must deliver this information to your doctor. 
• Pregnancy complications: There are various types of complications that may result in a high-risk pregnancy. These include abnormal placenta position, rhesus sensitization and fetal growth restriction.
• Maternal health problem: Obesity, high blood pressure, heart and blood disorder, diabetes, thyroid disease, epilepsy, infection, and poorly controlled asthma can increase pregnancy risk. 

High-risk pregnancy Prevention factors

You can avoid the case of a high-risk pregnancy by taking the following actions:

• Arrange a preconception appointment: Even before your pregnancy, when you are just thinking of conceiving, it’s better to take the consultation of your health provider. He/she may be able to guide you if you need any precaution or there is any threat to your baby because of genetic conditions. 
• Please stay away from the harmful substance: Whenever you are thinking of becoming a mother, it is essential to abandon drinking, smoking or using drugs. It is neither healthy for you or the baby. 
• Booking appointments with OB/GYN regularly: If you regularly go for checkups, they will keep you out of any complications. The doctors may also suggest healthy practices that help in keeping the baby healthy. 

What causes a High-risk Pregnancy?

Some of the common conditions that may be the cause of high-risk pregnancy are:

• Gestational Diabetes: It is that type of diabetes that only occurs in pregnant women. You can recognize that you are going through it when you suddenly find you have diabetes when pregnant and never had a diabetic problem before. However, you can overcome it through proper care. 
• HIV/AIDS: This can lessen your immune power to fight against certain cancer situations. There is also a risk of passing the disease to the baby. It mainly happens while giving birth or breastfeeding the baby. However, you can avoid it by following some effective ways. 
• Preeclampsia: This is a problem relating to high blood pressure and can cause a high-risk condition for both mother and the baby. 
• Preterm labor: You may go through preterm labour that begins before 37 weeks of pregnancy. At this time, the baby is not fully grown. 

How is high-risk pregnancy treated?

To prevent the condition of high-risk pregnancy, the OB/GYN doctor may recommend the following steps:

• At the beginning of your pregnancy, the doctor may recommend taking at least 400 micrograms of folic acid during pregnancy. 
• Go through proper immunizations
• Following a chart of regular physical activity
• Maintaining a healthy diet and adequate weight
• Avoiding bad habits like drugs, alcohol or cigarettes
• Regular appointment

Therefore, these are some of the things to know about high-risk pregnancies.

Our Expert Team