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All pregnancies carry risks. The definition of a “high-risk” pregnancy is any pregnancy that carries increased health risks for the pregnant person, fetus or both. People with high-risk pregnancies may need extra care before, during and after they give birth. This helps to reduce the possibility of complications.
However, having a pregnancy that’s considered high-risk doesn’t mean you or your fetus will have problems. Many people experience healthy pregnancies and normal labour and delivery despite having special health needs.
Factors that make a pregnancy high risk include:
- Preexisting health conditions.
- Pregnancy-related health conditions.
- Lifestyle factors (including smoking, drug addiction, alcohol abuse and exposure to certain toxins).
- Age (being over 35 or under 17 when pregnant).
What are common medical risk factors for a high-risk pregnancy?
People with many preexisting conditions have increased health risks during pregnancy. Some of these conditions include:
- Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or multiple sclerosis (MS).
- COVID-19.
- Diabetes.
- Fibroids.
- High blood pressure.
- HIV/AIDS.
- Kidney disease.
- Low body weight (BMI of less than 18.5).
- Mental health disorders, such as depression.
- Obesity.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
- Thyroid disease.
- Blood clotting disorders.
Pregnancy-related health conditions that can pose risks to the pregnant person and fetus include:
- Birth defects or genetic conditions in the fetus.
- Poor growth in the fetus.
- Gestational diabetes.
- Multiple gestation (pregnancy with more than one fetus, such as twins or triplets).
- Preeclampsia and eclampsia.
- Previous preterm labor or birth, or other complications with previous pregnancies.
What are the signs and symptoms of a high-risk pregnancy?
Talk to your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms during pregnancy, whether or not your pregnancy is considered high-risk:
- Abdominal pain that doesn’t go away.
- Chest pain.
- Dizziness or fainting.
- Extreme fatigue.
- The fetus's movement stops or slows.
- Fever over 100.4°F.
- Heart palpitations.
- Nausea and vomiting that’s worse than normal morning sickness.
- Severe headache that won’t go away or gets worse.
- Swelling, redness or pain in your face or limbs.
- Thoughts about harming yourself or the fetus.
- Trouble breathing.
- Vaginal bleeding or discharge.
At what age is pregnancy considered high-risk?
People who get pregnant for the first time after age 35 have high-risk pregnancies. Research suggests they’re more likely to have complications than younger people. These may include early pregnancy loss and pregnancy-related health conditions such as gestational diabetes.
Young people under 17 also have high-risk pregnancies because they may be:
- Anemic.
- Less likely to get thorough prenatal care.
- More likely to have premature labour or birth.
- Unaware they have sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
How is high-risk pregnancy diagnosed and monitored?
Getting early and thorough prenatal care is critical. It’s the best way to detect and diagnose a high-risk pregnancy. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about your health history and any past pregnancies. If you do have a high-risk pregnancy, you may need special monitoring throughout your pregnancy.
Tests to monitor your health and the health of the fetus may include:
- Blood and urine testing to check for genetic conditions or certain congenital conditions (birth defects).
- Ultrasonography, which uses sound waves to create images of the fetus to screen for congenital conditions.
- Monitoring to ensure the fetus is getting enough oxygen, such as a biophysical profile, which monitors their breathing, movements and amniotic fluid using ultrasound, and a non-stress test, which monitors their heart rate.
Learn more about our procedures and your options by scheduling a consultation appointment with one of our doctors.
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