A pregnancy is considered high risk when the mother and/or the fetus or baby have medical conditions or other health issues that increase the risk of becoming ill before, during, or after delivery.
High-risk pregnancies include those in which there is a potential risk to the health of the mother and/or the fetus or baby. Risks can result from various factors such as chronic disease, having more than one fetus (multiple gestation), previous pregnancy complications, or complications either related or unrelated to the pregnancy that arise during a pregnancy.
Certain conditions or characteristics, called risk factors, make a pregnancy high risk. As part of routine care during pregnancy, doctors check for these factors to determine the degree of risk for a particular woman and baby and thus to provide better medical care. For some prospective parents, genetic evaluation is advisable. It involves assessing their family history and, if needed, analyzing blood or tissue samples (such as cells from the inside of the cheek). This evaluation is done to determine whether there is an increased risk of having a baby with a hereditary genetic disorder.
Factors that can affect risk in women include
Physical characteristics (such as age and weight)
Disorders that were present before pregnancy, such as chronic high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, sexually transmitted infections, or kidney infections
Disorders that develop during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia
High-risk pregnancies must be closely monitored and involve specialized care, often including obstetricians and a hospital that specialize in high-risk pregnancies.
