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A pregnancy is considered high-risk when there is increased chance of complications that could affect the mother, the baby or both.
By Dr. Swati Kapadia
Even though “High-risk pregnancy” sounds ominous, the term does not in any way mean that you’re going to end up with complications. If appropriately managed, the outcome of a high-risk pregnancy can be optimized, leading to a normal delivery. In fact, a majority of women who have a so-called high-risk pregnancy go on to have few or no issues, and give birth to healthy babies.
However, if you have a high-risk pregnancy, you will need extra monitoring, and possibly extra care and treatment, to ensure that you have the safest pregnancy and delivery possible.
What are the high risk situations?
It would be:
1. Pre-existing conditions, like
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Sexually transmitting infections including HIV
- Blood clotting disorders
- Being overweight/underweight
- Being under the age of 18 (or) over the age of 35
- Previous pregnancy adverse outcomes like pre-term delivery, stillbirths or repeated abortions.
2. Conditions which can develop during pregnancy, like
- Multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets)
- Pre-eclampsia
- GDM (diabetes that develops during pregnancy)
- Pre-term labour (labour that starts before 37 weeks)
- Low lying placenta, women are prone to abnormal bleeding
- Some chronic infections.
3. Some abnormalities in the baby, like
- Congenital abnormalities
- Low birth weight
- Water around baby is less or more
- Blood supply to the body is less
All these reports additional risk to the baby.
How to prevent high risk pregnancy?
- Be sure to get thorough prenatal care well before planning your pregnancy by visiting your doctor to reduces your chances of high risk pregnancy. So they can take care of your pre-existing health issue in advance.
- If your pregnancy comes under high risk go for regular check up with your obstetrician. Your doctor will give you plan of management individualized as per your situation, so stick to the plan to optimize the outcome.
Let’s strive to create awareness and understanding about high risk pregnancy.
This article was published in association with Rainbow Children’s Hospital.
Dr SWATI KAPADIA
Senior Consultant - Obstetrics & Gynecology MBBS,DGO,DRM,FMAS
BirthRight By Rainbow Hospitals, Sholinganallur, Chennai
English (US)