For new parents, pregnancy is a time of hope and great joy. However, there is also a lingering fear because of unexpected complications that may affect the mother and the baby. These complications can be mild or life-threatening and if there are preexisting conditions like heart disease or asthma, they can be aggravated by the pregnancy. Read below to learn about 10 of the most severe complications of pregnancy.
These medical complications during pregnancy can affect the mother's or baby's health. The healthcare provider recommends prenatal check-ups to look for complications. You can detect potential issues by going for these check-ups regularly, detecting them early and reducing the chances of complications with prompt treatment. Pregnancy complications can happen for reasons like preexisting conditions or new medical issues caused due to pregnancy.
This may happen during or before pregnancy. If this is a preexisting condition, it may need to be monitored and controlled throughout the pregnancy. However, if the blood pressure increases beyond the recommended limits for the first time at the time of pregnancy, it is called gestational hypertension. Though it is common for women to have this condition, it can lead to preterm birth, low birth weight and infant death if not appropriately controlled.
Like gestational hypertension, if the blood sugar levels go beyond the normal limits for the first time during pregnancy, it is called gestational diabetes. The complications of gestational diabetes are that it is linked to the fetus being at higher risk of preterm birth, stillbirth, macrosomia or congenital anomalies. When it causes macrosomia, it often causes difficult delivery, whether it is Cesarean or vaginal. It can also cause neonatal metabolic abnormalities.
It is a condition that is common for a woman who is having her first baby or for those who have preexisting diabetes, hypertension or kidney disease. It is common in teenage pregnant girls, older mothers of over 40 years, and those who are overweight or obese and are carrying multiple pregnancies. It is a condition where there is a protein in urine with high blood pressure. The other symptoms include headache, blurred vision, reduced urine output and puffed ankles due to fluid retention. The most dangerous complication of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy is eclampsia, which may lead to seizures, coma or death of the mother.
One of the common complications of pregnancy is urinary tract infections (UTIs). These have symptoms like fever with shivering, pain or burning sensation after or during urination, bad-smelling or strong-smelling urine, back pain, and nausea. Sometimes, UTIs do not show any symptoms and the infection can progress to the uterus or the kidneys.
The other infections that can lead to fetal complications are varicella, rubella and cytomegalovirus. Group B streptococci infections can cause chorioamnionitis, miscarriage and preterm labor. HIV, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted diseases, STDs like syphilis can affect the fetus and the mother.
Bleeding in the early part of pregnancy can be an indication of placental previa or abruption, miscarriage or infection of the cervix or vagina. Placenta previa is a condition where the placenta is low in the uterus and it overlaps on the cervical opening, causing it to move away from the uterus wall during late pregnancy or labor. The bleeding in this condition is usually painless.
Sometimes, there can be bleeding due to abruptio placentae, where the fetus is deprived of nutrients and oxygen. This condition is associated with abdominal pain, bleeding and uterine sensitivity. It occurs in women who smoke, have hypertension or have multiple pregnancies.
Oligoamnios and hydramnios are complications that happen due to the presence of too little or too much amniotic fluid. Hydramnios is associated with diabetes, blood group mismatch, multiple pregnancies and congenital anomalies. It can lead to preterm birth and also maternal respiratory problems. This can lead to complications like:
Preterm labour: This is birth before 37 weeks and happens due to infections, hormonal changes, placental bleeding, uterus distension or multiple pregnancies. It can also be caused due to smoking, drug use, weak cervix, and very old or young mothers.
Stillbirth: It is when a fetus, after 20 weeks of pregnancy, does not survive. The risk of this is high in those with maternal diabetes, hypertension, infections, placental defects and umbilical cord problems.
When the fetus is lost before 20 weeks of pregnancy due to congenital or chromosomal defects, the symptoms include spotting, cramps, etc. The miscarriage happens with uterine bleeding and the pregnancy sac is forced out. Sometimes, it happens because the cervix is weak and opens out. It is called mid-trimester abortion due to cervical incompetence after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
In this condition, the fetus is smaller and weighs lesser compared to 90% of the babies in the same pregnancy term. So, there is a risk of a compromised supply of nutrients and oxygen. In some cases, the fetus is normal but small, while in other cases, there are placental abnormalities or there are issues that prevent proper growth. Risk factors for this include poor maternal nutrition or health, alcohol or drug abuse, autoimmune disease and hypertension.
This defect is present at birth and can be due to infections like cytomegalovirus and rubella or acquired or inherited genetic factors. However, a large percentage of these congenital disabilities are for unknown causes. Cleft lip, hypospadias and clubfoot are every day. Congenital disabilities of the neural tube and the heart affect the brain and spinal cord development.
Meconium is the content of the baby's gut at birth. It is the infant's first stool. MAS refers to the inhalation of meconium by the fetus or the newborn. Meconium may cause respiratory distress in the baby. This usually happens after birth and in some cases, it occurs inside the womb. Babies born post-term or those who have low birth weight are at risk and this may also happen to healthy babies.
Don't hesitate to call a doctor if you see symptoms like vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, or dizziness. You should also see a doctor if the baby moves less often during the third trimester.
Preterm birth is one of the most significant risks of pregnancy. This refers to the delivery of the baby before 37 weeks of gestation. This can cause complications like low birth weight, developmental delays, respiratory distress and long-term health problems.
Nausea and vomiting, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, urinary tract infections and vaginal bleeding are some common illnesses during pregnancy.
A problematic pregnancy means that the pregnancy gets complicated due to various medical and physical challenges and poses a risk to the health of the mother and the fetus. This can be in the form of complications during pregnancy, fetal abnormalities, loss of pregnancy, etc.
