Do You Have One Of These Causes Of High-Risk Pregnancy?
If you’ve been waiting until later in life to have a child, you’re not alone. Twenty percent of American women have their first child after the age of 35. When you decide to have children is an individual choice that we respect, and we are dedicated to working closely with you throughout your pregnancy since having children after age 35 also puts you into the category of high-risk pregnancy.
But age isn’t the only factor that can be a cause of high-risk pregnancy. Many pre-existing health conditions or infections can have an impact.
Are you concerned that you may have one of these causes of a high-risk pregnancy? While “high-risk” can be frightening words, we’ll show how our healthcare team has helped women with high-risk pregnancies deliver healthy babies throughout the decades.
In this article, we’ll break down some of the most commonly asked questions we receive so you can be an active partner in your care.
Who Is Most Likely to Have a High-Risk Pregnancy? 6 Common Causes
1. Those With Preexisting Health Conditions
If you have diabetes, thyroid problems and heart disease, you could be considered a high-risk pregnancy. Even high blood pressure can lead to complications like preeclampsia.
- How We Help You: We work closely with your primary care providers and specialists, helping ensure that your preexisting healthcare condition is well-controlled. We’ll also closely monitor you and your baby to ensure there are no developing complications.
2. Those With Age-Related Risks
You are considered a high-risk pregnancy if you become pregnant at age 35 or older or under the age of 18. Risks include genetic abnormalities, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.
- How We Help You: If you fall into this category, we can conduct testing to detect any genetic abnormalities. We will also have more frequent appointments so we can closely monitor your developing baby.
3. Those With Other Pregnancy-Related Factors
Did you previously have twins? Have you experienced a preterm birth or preeclampsia? If you have experienced these before, they are causes of high-risk pregnancy.
- How We Help You: Once again, we will schedule additional appointments to help ensure a healthy pregnancy.
4. Those With Certain Lifestyle Factors
Smoking, drinking and obesity can place you in the high-risk category. The results could mean difficult labor, low birth weight and preterm birth.
- How We Help You: We care about your overall health as well as your gynecological health. If you are having difficulty losing weight or abstaining from alcohol and tobacco, we urge you to speak with us. We are always ready to offer solutions—not judgments.
5. Those With Infections
UTIs and STDs can lead to preterm birth, birth defects and other complications. Infections like Zika or Rubella can harm your developing baby.
- How We Help You: First, we encourage you to be proactive with regular testing for sexually transmitted infections. We offer regular testing at our Chapel Hill and Durham locations. Second, we’ll help ensure you receive timely treatment for a UTI that is both effective and safe for your baby. Finally, we’ll be ready to treat any infection to help protect the health of your baby.
6. Those With Gynecological Structural Issues
Fibroids, a weakened cervix or structural abnormalities with your uterus can affect your pregnancy. Typically, we can diagnose some of these by using an ultrasound.
- How We Help You: We may prescribe bed rest or, in the case of a weakened cervix, perform a basic procedure that will help. While fibroids cannot be removed while you are pregnant, we will monitor the growth of your baby to help ensure things are progressing as they should.
How Often Should You Visit a Doctor If You Are a High-Risk Pregnancy?
First, we want you to know that we are with you during every step of your pregnancy journey. We realize that while this can be a wonderful and exciting time, it is not without challenges. If you have a high-risk pregnancy, we want you to rest assured that you are in good hands.
Details will vary depending on your unique situation, but we will want to see you more often than we would for an “average” pregnancy. It’s crucial for you to attend every appointment.
How Common Are High Risk Pregnancies?
Every year, between 6% and 8% of pregnancies in the U.S. are considered high-risk. That equates to roughly 30,000 to 50,000 people.
Are IVF Pregnancies High-Risk?
Because IVF increases the likelihood of multiple births, it has the potential to create a high-risk pregnancy. However, conceiving by IVF does not automatically place you at high risk.
If you have questions about IVF, we’ll be happy to make a referral to the leading providers in the area.
Can You Prevent a High-Risk Pregnancy?
There are many factors that you can’t control. However, there are some that can greatly reduce your risk. We’ve outlined a few of those below:
- Avoiding alcohol (This includes over-the-counter medications as well as alcoholic beverages)
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
- Managing any preexisting medical conditions, such as diabetes
- Practicing safe sex to dramatically reduce your risk of getting an STD
- Quitting smoking
- Speaking with us about any over-the-counter or prescription medicines you take. You should also tell us if you’re taking herbal remedies or supplements.
If You Have One of These Causes of High-Risk Pregnancy, Schedule an Appointment with Us
We have helped hundreds of women with high-risk pregnancies have healthy babies. If you are considering becoming pregnant, we ask that you schedule a preconception appointment with us so we can evaluate and mitigate any risk factors you have.
Together, we form a healthcare team that is with you during every step. Schedule an appointment today.
The content within this article and others on this website is only for educational purposes and should not be considered as medical advice. For any questions or concerns, please consult with your healthcare provider.
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Sources:
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, “Pregnancy After In-Vitro Fertilization,” https://www.brighamandwomens.org/campaigns/mfm-nicu/pregnancy-after-ivf
Cleveland Clinic, “High-risk Pregnancy” https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22190-high-risk-pregnancy
Mayo Clinic, “High-risk Pregnancy” https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/high-risk-pregnancy/art-20047012
Mayo Clinic, “In Vitro Fertilization,” https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/in-vitro-fertilization/about/pac-20384716 ]
National Institutes of Health, “Having Kids Later in Life” https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2022/07/having-kids-later-life