High risk pregnancy factors and care.
Who is at risk?
Some women have higher chances of pregnancy risk by virtue of their age or a pre-existing medical condition. For example, girls younger than fifteen and women older than 35 are more likely to have problems with their pregnancies. Weight may play a factor in pregnancy risk. Women who weigh less than one hundred pounds, or who are considerably overweight are considered high risk during pregnancy. Some of the pre-existing chronic medical conditions that may complicate pregnancy are asthma, cancer, auto immune diseases, heart disease, ulcerative colitis, kidney disease and diabetes.
Other times, the risky conditions occur during pregnancy or as a result of the pregnancy. Conditions such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia all cause concern and require extra care. Contracting a disease, infection or acute condition during pregnancy can turn a normal pregnancy into a risky one in a flash.
Care for a high risk pregnancy
Once a doctor has identified a pregnancy as high risk, it is important to take extra care. However, the measures necessary are dependent upon the risk factors and the conditions causing the risk.
For example, for risk factors such as age or weight, the pregnant woman usually does not need to do anything special. Instead, she should take normal care of herself and be vigilant for symptoms of any complications. Her doctor will closely monitor her health, but in most instances she will have a normal pregnancy and delivery. Often, doctors recommend extra tests to ensure the mother and baby are both healthy throughout the pregnancy.
For pre-existing medical conditions, a woman's doctor will work closely with her general and specialty physicians to ensure that she and the baby are as healthy as possible. For example, any medication she may take for chronic conditions must be evaluated for the effects it may have on her developing baby. Some chronic conditions improve or worsen during pregnancy, so it is important for women with these risks to be carefully monitored for any changes.
If a woman contracts a disease or develops an acute condition during pregnancy, it is important for the doctors treating her to be aware of her pregnancy. Treatments may vary since some of the indicated medications or treatments could have adverse effects on the baby. In some instances, for example if a woman requires surgery when the baby is close to full-term, doctors may opt to deliver a baby early for the health of both mother and baby. In other cases, where there is risk to the baby, doctors may treat the baby for a condition while it is still in the uterus.In many cases, a risky condition needs specific treatment. For example, for women with gestational diabetes, the care during pregnancy usually involves eating a limited diet and getting additional exercise.
Sometimes pregnant mothers are confined to bed-rest due to pregnancy complications. These instances include things like pre-term labor and women with tipped uteruses. Often, women with multiples are placed on bed rest near the end of their pregnancy to ensure they do not go into labor too early.
