reasons that a pregnancy may be considered high risk include: maternal age. one of the most common risk factors for a high-risk pregnancy is the age of the mother-to-be. women who will be under 17 or over 35 when their baby is due are at greater risk of complications than those between their late teens and early 30s. the risk of miscarriage and genetic defects further increases after age 40. medical conditions that exist before pregnancy. conditions such as high blood pressure; breathing kidney or heart problems; diabetes; autoimmune disease; sexually transmitted diseases (stds); or chronic infections such as human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) can present risks for the mother and/or her unborn baby. a history of miscarriage problems with a previous pregnancy or pregnancies or a family history of genetic disorders are also risk factors for a high-risk pregnancy. if you have a medical condition it's important to consult your doctor before you decide to become pregnant. your doctor may run tests adjust medications or advise you of precautions you need to take to optimize the health of you and your baby. medical conditions that occur during pregnancy. even if you are healthy when you become pregnant it is possible to develop or be diagnosed with problems during pregnancy that can affect you and your baby. two of the more common pregnancy-related problems are: preeclampsia is a syndrome that includes high blood pressure urinary protein and swelling; it can be fatal for the mother and/or baby if not treated. with proper treatment however many women who develop preeclampsia have healthy babies. gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. women with gestational diabetes may have healthy pregnancies and babies if they follow the treatment plan from their health-care provider. usually the diabetes resolves after delivery. however women with gestational diabetes are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. pregnancy-related issues. often a pregnancy is classified as high risk because of issues that arise from the pregnancy itself and that have little to do with the mother's health. these include: premature labor is labor that begins before the 37th week of pregnancy -- the point at which the baby is deemed full-term. although there is no way to know which women will experience preterm labor or birth there are factors that place women at higher risk such as certain infections a shortened cervix or previous preterm birth. multiple births means you are carrying more than one baby (twins triplets quadruplets etc. ). multiple pregnancies which are more common as women are using more infertility treatments increase the risk of premature labor gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. placenta previa is a condition in which the placenta covers the cervix. the condition can cause bleeding especially if a woman has contractions. if the placenta still covers the cervix close to delivery the doctor may schedule a cesarean section to reduce bleeding risks to the mother and baby. fetal problems which can sometimes be seen on ultrasound. approximately 2% to 3% of all babies have a minor or major structural problem in development. sometimes there may be a family history of fetal problems but other times these problems are completely unexpected.
what are the risk factors for a high-risk pregnancy?