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What is a high-risk pregnancy?
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 labor and delivery despite having special health needs.
What causes high-risk pregnancy?
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).
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.
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 stopping or slowing.
- 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.
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.
