Maternal risk factors include:
- Pre-existing diabetes
- Chronic high blood pressure
- Blood clots
- Heart disease (congenital or acquired)
- Infectious diseases (Viral Hepatitis, pyelonephritis, HIV)
- Psychiatric disease
- Rheumatalogic diseases
- Organ transplant
Fetal risk factors include:
- Birth defects, such as congenital heart defects
- Chromosome problems, such as Down syndrome
- Genetic syndromes, such as Fragile X syndrome
- Inherited diseases, such as cystic fibrosis
- Fetal growth restriction
- Fetal anemia
Pregnancy-related risk factors include:
- A history of multiple miscarriages or pregnancy losses
- A history of premature delivery
- Pre-term premature rupture of membranes
- Pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome
- Abnormal placentation
- Placenta abruption
- Stillbirth
- Too much or too little amniotic fluid
- Infections: Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Toxoplasmosis, Listeria,Herpes Virus, Zika
- Multi-fetal gestation ( Twins, Triplets)
This is only a partial list of conditions and circumstances that may result in a pregnancy being labeled “high-risk.”
If a mother is over the age of 35, the pregnancy may also be considered high-risk.