Complications of Pregnancy (High Risk Obstetrics)

Some women are at high risk for complications during pregnancy due to a preexisting medical condition, the baby, or due to their age (teenagers or menopausal women). Doctors who specialize in high risk obstetrics are called Perinatologist or Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists. The MFM specialists have advanced training in addressing the medical, genetic, surgical obstetrical complications that can occur during pregnancy. Women who are considered at high risk for pregnancy related complications includes but is not limited to:

• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• High blood pressure (hypertension
• Lung Disorders (example-Asthma)
• Lupus
• Seizure Disorder
• Kidney Disease
• Menopausal women (pregnant through donor eggs)
• Teenagers
• Multiple gestations (especially triplets or more)
• Previous history of pregnancy related complication
• Thyroid Disorder
• Cancer and pregnancy

Women with one or more of these conditions should consider preconception counseling with a MFM specialist. Women with chronic (long term) diseases are especially at risk for pregnancy related complications if their disease in NOT under control or if they are NOT in remission. Fertility Today magazine will discuss a variety of these high risk disorders as they relate to pregnancy.

As with all the material on this site or in our magazine, Fertility Today CANNOT and WILL NOT take the place of consulting your physician. Please understand that the information on our Web site is for educational purposes only and cannot substitute for an evaluation conducted by a qualified physician, and is not indented to give personal medical, legal, psychological or spiritual advice. Our authors make every effort to insure the accuracy of our information but it cannot be guaranteed.

All of the treatments discussed by our authors vary based upon individual patient/couple variations. Individualized or specific treatments can only be recommended by your physician. None of the information in our site is to be interpreted as recommending any type of therapy.

Read Additional Information on recurrent miscarriage.