Risky Pregnancy

Risky Pregnancy

Most pregnancies proceed smoothly and result in a healthy mother and baby; however, sometimes there are situations that endanger the life of the mother and the baby. We can consider these pregnancies as risky pregnancies.

The most important step to prevent or control risky situations during pregnancy is to get counseling from a physician before pregnancy. Some diseases that exist in the pregnant mother can negatively affect the pregnancy. Diabetes, high blood pressure, immune system diseases, thyroid gland diseases, kidney diseases, and genetic diseases can be given as examples to a few of these. In many diseases, when consulted before pregnancy, physicians can apply contraceptive facilitating treatments and make recommendations. For example, if a mother with epilepsy is planning pregnancy, the drugs she uses can be replaced with a more harmless drug for the baby.

Some conditions that make pregnancy risky occur during pregnancy. Examples of these are Preeclampsia and Eclampsia, gestational diabetes, infections and blood clotting problems. Preeclampsia and Eclampsia are pregnancy-specific diseases. The mother-to-be has symptoms such as high blood pressure, protein in the urine and swelling in the legs. In mild forms, bed rest may be recommended, but in severe forms, the mother-to-be may have epileptic seizures. The treatment for this condition is childbirth. The physician may initiate the delivery at a time that he or she thinks is in the best interests of the mother and the baby, and apply the treatment.

Gestational diabetes is an important disease that causes risky pregnancies. Diabetes checks (such as sugar loading test) are performed during pregnancy for early diagnosis and treatment. If it is not taken under control, babies with high birth weight (macrosomal babies) will be born and many diseases can be seen in these babies.

Infections during pregnancy may also have more severe consequences than a non-pregnant person. For example, the rubella virus can cause many painful symptoms, up to stillbirths. For this reason, pregnant women should pay attention to their contact with sick people and pay attention to hand hygiene. They should stay away from raw meat.

In some pregnancies, risk situations related to the baby may develop. Many of these are of genetic origin and parents should receive genetic counseling to take the necessary precautions. Conditions such as Down syndrome can be diagnosed early with the help of regular ultrasound monitoring and some tests. In ultrasound follow-ups, the growth rate of the baby is also evaluated. According to the week, small or large babies are in the risk group and are followed up specially.

Every expectant mother and every pregnancy experience is unique. Each pregnancy should be handled separately and evaluated individually. In risky pregnancies, the physician applies an appropriate treatment plan with the expectant mother according to the risk situation. Pregnancy can be passed in the healthiest way possible by getting pre-pregnancy counseling and regular pregnancy follow-ups.