Pregnancy Risk Factors
Alternate Names : High-Risk Pregnancy
Pregnancy is the period from conception to birth. A pregnancy may
be complicated by health problems or lifestyle issues known as risk factors.
These risk factors can affect the mother or fetus, or both.
What is the information for this topic?
A pregnancy is considered to be at risk when a problem is more likely than
usual to occur. Such a problem could be caused by a health condition the mother
had before she was pregnant. It could also be a problem that arises during pregnancy or delivery.
The small number of women who have known risk factors account for a large
number of the problems that occur. However, not all problems can be predicted.
About 1 in 5 infants who have serious problems are born to mothers who had no
known risk factors during pregnancy.
The following health problems in the mother can increase the risk of her pregnancy:
high blood pressure
heart disease,
lung disease, or liver disease
sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs
urinary tract infections
viral or bacterial infections
diabetes, which means that sugar in the blood is difficult to
control
severe
asthma
seizure disorders or epilepsy
posttraumatic stress
disorder
hypothyroidism, or a low
level of thyroid hormone production
Problems related to the current pregnancy or past pregnancies can increase the
risk to the mother and baby, such as:
problems in past pregnancies
adolescent
pregnancy, especially pregnancy in a mother who is younger than 15 years of age
advanced maternal age, which means pregnancy in a woman older than
35 years of age
previous birth defects
multiple fetuses, for example, twins or triplets
pregnancies that are less than 6 months or more than 5 years apart
vaginal bleeding,
especially during the second
trimester or third
trimester
preeclampsia, which is pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
abnormal fetal heartbeat
intrauterine growth retardation, a condition in which
a fetus is not growing enough for its age
Lifestyle issues in the mother that can increase her pregnancy risk factors
are as follows:
smoking
drinking
alcohol
caffeine intake,
particularly in the first
trimester
taking drugs and herbal remedies not prescribed by a healthcare
provider
poor nutrition, including low levels of folic acid
lack of prenatal care
multiple sexual partners
exposure to
pesticides
To screen for risk factors, several lab tests are done at different times
during pregnancy, including the following:
blood tests to identify blood type and
Rh factor, to check for a low red blood cell count caused by
anemia, and to detect some
sexually transmitted
diseases
urine tests to check levels of sugar, protein, and bacteria. These urine
tests screen for urinary tract infections, gestational
diabetes, and
preeclampsia.
Depending on the mother's medical history, family medical background, and the results
of routine tests, more tests to check the growth and health of the fetus may be
suggested.
Genetic counseling is strongly advised for
couples with a risk factor of having a child with a birth defect or serious
genetic illness. Risk factors for this are as follows:
a mother who will be 35 years old or older when the baby is due
a family or personal history of birth defects, genetic conditions such as
Tay-Sachs disease or Down syndrome, or certain medical disorders known as
inborn errors of metabolism
a previous child with a birth defect or genetic disease such as
sickle cell anemia
certain ethnic backgrounds, including African-American, Mediterranean,
Asian, French-Canadian, or Ashkenazi Jewish
3 or more miscarriages in a row
|
