High-Risk Obstetrics Overview

High-risk obstetrics describes the conditions in which a mother, the developing fetus or both face higher-than-normal risks for complications during or after pregnancy and birth. Factors that can affect a pregnancy can be divided into maternal and fetal.

Maternal factors affecting pregnancy include age (younger than age 15, older than age 35); weight (pre-pregnancy weight under 100 pounds or obesity); history of complications during previous pregnancies, stillbirth, multiple births, pre-term labor/delivery, complications from high blood pressure; history of disease or chronic infections.

WellStar’s birthing centers are equipped to handle the most extreme of high-risk pregnancies and provide care for the smallest of babies. The Maternal-Fetal Medicine team treats women with high-risk factors such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, infectious diseases and kidney or gastrointestinal problems; multiple births; recurrent pregnancy loss; and recurrent pre-term labor and delivery. New procedures and technologies have been developed in high-risk obstetrics, and WellStar’s birthing centers provide care and services benefitting from such advancements.

WellStar’s Maternal-Fetal team also promotes pre-term birth prevention, encouraging mothers with high-risk pregnancies to seek regular prenatal care, maintain healthy diet and exercise, manage chronic and stressful conditions and avoid risky substances, such as alcohol, nicotine and non-prescribed drugs.