High Risk Pregnancies

Out of all pregnancies in the United States , around 5 to 10 percent are considered high-risk pregnancies. High risk or complicated pregnancies are when the health or well-being of the baby may be at risk.

Many couple can learn to deal with high risk pregnancies if they receive proper medical intervention, support from family and friends, and of course educating themselves. Many risk factors can be found before conception.

The age of the mother is one factor that can contribute to a high-risk pregnancy. In older women, the chances of pregnancy induced diabetes or high blood pressure in the mom and even abnormal development in the baby can occur.

If the mom to be weighs less than one hundred pounds it is highly likely, that she will give birth to an underweight baby. Women that are overweight run the risk of gestational diabetes and hypertension.

Chronic medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, lupus can all contribute to complicated pregnancies. If there is a family history of birth defects or mental retardation, this can also indicate a high-risk pregnancy.

Women that have had miscarriages, stillbirths, premature babies, or neonatal deaths need to be watched carefully and are also considered to be high-risk pregnancies.

There are ways in which many of these high-risk pregnancies can go to full term without any complications with the use of medications prescribed by your doctor, unless the problems stem from family history.

Other factors that can be changed to ensure a healthy pregnancy and full term baby is that you control or quit smoking, drinking alcohol and of course, no un-prescribed drugs and some prescribed drugs may have to be altered.

Just because you have a high risk pregnancy is no reason not to be excited and happy. With the proper care, around 90 to 95 percent of all high-risk pregnancies or complicated pregnancies give birth to healthy babies.

Women carry multiple babies are also considered to be high-risk pregnancies. You may not have any problems whatsoever; you will just need to watched a bit more closely to ensure that you carry the babies to full term.

Women who have had pre-term labor before are also ones that need to be watched. There are medications available to help keep the baby in place and your body from not going into labor early. However, your doctor must know that you previous went into labor early so he can watch for signs of pre-term labor with this pregnancy.