Characteristics of a High-Risk Pregnancy

A nurse with experience in Wyoming and Illinois, Judith Abraham received Nurse of the Year honors from the Chicago Sun-Times in 2004 for her work to save a mother and child. She most recently served as the interim director of Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Continuously dedicated to providing high-quality care to delivering mothers, Judith Abraham draws on an in-depth knowledge of what makes a pregnancy high-risk.

A clinical team may classify a pregnancy as high-risk if there is danger to the mother, the baby, or both. Certain mothers are high-risk due to a preexisting condition, such as a personal history of diabetes, heart problems, or chronic high blood pressure. Women who are older than 35 or younger than 17 qualify as high-risk, as well.

Other risk factors relate specifically to the expectant mother's prior history with pregnancy. Those who have miscarried three or more times are at high risk, as are those who experienced such dangers as preterm labor or preeclampsia in a prior pregnancy. Relatedly, those who have had repeat Caesareans sections or other pelvic surgeries are at high risk.

In terms of the present condition of a pregnancy, women who are carrying two or more babies are classifiable as high-risk. The same is true of women whose unborn infants have received a diagnosis of a genetic or medical condition.

Women who have an active infection, such as HIV, are at high risk of problems during pregnancy. Certain other medications and health conditions may put a woman at high risk as well. Prenatal care plays a vital role in identifying these conditions, while providing the monitoring that improves a woman's chances of a healthy birth.