High-Risk Pregnancy

High Risk Pregnancy

 

What is a High Risk Pregnancy?

A pregnancy is considered high risk when either the mother or child faces an increased chance of complications. Some causes of high-risk pregnancy are pre-existing health conditions, while other risk factors include age or lifestyle choices.

A high-risk pregnancy isn’t necessarily “treated”, but is instead subject to much closer monitoring and more frequent health checks. If the high risk pregnancy is due to an underlying medical condition, treatment of that issue may need to happen before pregnancy occurs.

If it is determined that a high-risk pregnancy is present, special steps may be taken. These can include blood testing, urine testing, and additional ultrasounds. In some cases, a special facility or hospital that caters to high-risk pregnancies may be used.

High-risk Pregnancy Factors

There are different factors that can lead to a high-risk pregnancy such as:

• Age
• Multiple-Child Pregnancy
• Lifestyle
• Past Pregnancy Issues

Some high risk pregnancies also stem from health issues present in the fetus such as chromosomal or anatomical abnormalities.

Still, other high-risk pregnancies are caused by a pre-existing health condition in the mother. Some of these illnesses can include:

 

Certain medications may affect pregnancy risk.