Pregnancy is a happy, yet scary time for most expectant parents. However, many different complications can arise during the course of a pregnancy. Maintaining compliance with pre-natal care and doctor's visits will help to ensure that if a complication develops, that it would be detected earlier and treated sooner. Many medical advances in sonography and pre-natal testing have enabled physicians to detect complications earlier which leads to better patient outcomes and satisfaction. There are some common high risk pregnancy complications that expectant mothers should be aware of.
Preeclampsia
According to BabyCenter, preeclampsia is a complex disorder affecting 3 to 8 percent of pregnant women. Diagnosis usually occurs when a woman, after 20 weeks of pregnancy, has two symptoms at once: newly elevated blood pressure and protein in her urine. Additional symptoms of preeclampsia may include headache, visual changes, abdominal pain and swelling of the hands and face. Preeclampsia is usually diagnosed during a routine doctor's visit by blood pressure screening and urinalysis. If left untreated, it can lead to the development of seizure in the mother which may decrease the oxygen supply to her baby. Preeclampsia that becomes severe may lead to a premature birth. It is sometimes safer to deliver the baby early, than risk organ damage to the mother or baby.
Gestational Diabetes
The American Pregnancy Association says that another high risk pregnancy complication is the development of gestational diabetes. Physicians usually diagnose gestational diabetes during the second trimester by a lab test called an oral glucose tolerance test. It occurs when a woman's body does not make enough insulin during her pregnancy. Treatment includes diet and lifestyle modification and may require insulin therapy. An increase in a woman's blood sugar during gestational diabetes may cause a baby to grow large for gestational age. A larger baby may cause additional complications during a vaginal delivery and may need to be delivered via cesarean section.
Placental Complications
Some women may suffer from placental complications during pregnancy. Placenta previa is a placental complication in which the placenta is lying unusually low in the uterus, next to or covering the cervix, reports BabyCenter. Women with placenta previa may experience bleeding in the second or third trimesters. This complication is diagnosed by ultrasound. In some cases, severe blood loss can lead to hemorrhage. Expectant mothers may require blood transfusions during pregnancy. In some cases, medical personnel may elect to deliver the baby prematurely. Women with placenta previa will most likely require a surgical or cesarean delivery.
