High-risk pregnancy What is it and how is it detected?

A high-risk pregnancy is one that can have negative consequences on the health of both the mother and the fetus. To avoid major problems it is necessary to carry out a more exhaustive control than usual throughout pregnancy.

Approximately 10% of pregnancies are considered high risk, and the term refers to the different medical, gynecological, social or obstetric circumstances that can put the health of the baby, the mother or both at risk..

How to detect a high-risk pregnancy

There are usually two ways to detect a high-risk pregnancy:

Preconception consultation: As its name suggests, it is the consultation that is carried out prior to the search for pregnancy. The gynecologist will be provided with the medical history of the future mother to detect if it is a high-risk pregnancy. In addition, different tests are done such as blood and urine tests, genetic studies and imaging tests..

Throughout the pregnancy: Throughout the gestation, different medical problems may appear that make it necessary to identify it as a high-risk pregnancy.

Causes of high-risk pregnancy

The causes of a high-risk pregnancy are very varied. However, there are some well-identified factors closely associated with this type of pregnancy, which may be present in the woman before pregnancy or may develop during pregnancy..

In these cases, early identification of such factors is essential to carry out a more controlled follow-up of the pregnancy..

In general, three groups of causes of high-risk pregnancies are identified:

Modifying factors: Although they do not cause a high-risk pregnancy by themselves, their presence can present an added risk..

Among them we find the social background (women under 15 and over 40) or excessively thin or overweight women. To this must be added any type of addiction of the mother (tobacco, drugs, alcohol) that can complicate the normal development of pregnancy.

Medical history: There are different diseases that can contribute to a pregnancy being classified as high risk. Among them we find heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, mental disorders, etc. Basically any health problem that the mother has can influence the normal development of a pregnancy.

Pathology in current pregnancy: multiple gestations, placenta previa, threat of preterm birth, gestational diabetes, etc..

When is it necessary to perform an abortion in the event of a high-risk pregnancy?

In recent years, Spanish legislation has changed in relation to abortion. The last law in force today dates from 2010 and is the so-called Sexual and Reproductive Law..

According to this law, up to 14 weeks the woman is free to terminate the pregnancy voluntarily, regardless of whether it is a normal or high-risk pregnancy. Subsequently, between weeks 14 and 22, a medical cause with the corresponding report is always needed and the pregnancy can only be interrupted in two cases:

• In the case of finding fetal abnormalities not compatible with life, with a prior opinion issued by a physician or specialist other than the one who is going to perform the abortion.
• In the event that a fetus is detected extremely serious illness and incurable at the time of diagnosis.

The Isadora Clinic is the only Hospital authorized by the Community of Madrid with hospital admission after the abortion.

If you wonder how much it costs to have an abortion in Madrid, their prices vary a lot depending on the specific needs of each patient..

How to track a high-risk pregnancy

As we mentioned before, the identification of a pregnancy as high risk implies that the mother must carry out a more exhaustive follow-up and a series of specific care.

When the mother thinks that she may have a high-risk pregnancy, it can be very useful to carry out a preconception consultation before planning pregnancy. In this way, they will try to identify the best conditions to optimize for gestation..

Once the pregnancy has already occurred and has been classified as high risk, it will be necessary to perform a individualized follow-up protocol with a greater number of visits to the gynecologist.

In addition to the above, it is very important keep the mother informed at all times about the development and prognosis of your pregnancy, possible complications and the influence that his illness may have on him. The different signs and symptoms that could be an alarm are also explained to you and for which you should go immediately to the hospital..