Our Services / High Risk Pregnancy

High Risk Pregnancy

In a high-risk pregnancy, the mother and baby have a greater-than-usual chance of experiencing complications. The experienced obstetricians at Mesbah OB/GYN in Garden City, New York, specialize in caring for women during high-risk pregnancies and helping them have a normal, successful birth. To see how they can help you and your baby, call Mesbah OB/GYN today or use the online tool to schedule an appointment.

serving Garden City, Mineola, East Meadow, Levittown, Long Island, NY, and the surrounding areas

What is a high-risk pregnancy?

The term high-risk pregnancy refers to situations where there’s an increased chance of complications occurring that could affect the mother, baby, or both. Factors that increase your chances of a high-risk pregnancy include:

Maternal age

Women under 17 or over 35 have a greater risk of complications than women between these ages. The risks increase further after 40.

Medical history

If you’ve previously had a premature birth, your baby was underweight at birth, or you had a cesarean section, the Mesbah OB/GYN team would consider future pregnancies to be high-risk.

Having conditions like diabetes, anemia, blood pressure disorders, or various infections also puts you in the high-risk category.

Lifestyle

Smoking, taking drugs, drinking alcohol, lacking nutrition, and being overweight or underweight can all cause complications for you and your baby during pregnancy.

You can still have a normal, healthy delivery with a high-risk pregnancy, but you need special monitoring and attention.

What conditions are considered high risk during pregnancy?

Some common conditions that cause high-risk pregnancies include:

Preterm labor

Preterm labor means going into labor before your 37th week of pregnancy. Babies born early are less likely to be fully developed and could be more at risk of health problems like breathing difficulties.

There’s no single cause of preterm labor, so your gynecologist looks for abnormalities of the cervix and bacterial vaginal infections.

Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a serious condition for you and your baby. It causes your blood vessels to constrict, increasing the pressure in your arteries and reducing blood flow to vital organs like the brain, liver, and kidneys.

Gestational diabetes

Even if you don’t already have diabetes, you could develop gestational diabetes. The increase in blood sugar levels can make your baby grow abnormally large and could cause complications after birth when their blood sugar levels fall.

Gestational diabetes typically disappears after delivery, but it’s important to manage the symptoms. Women who experience gestational diabetes are also at significantly higher risk of having Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Many disorders can develop as your baby grows in the womb, making your pregnancy high risk.

How is a high-risk pregnancy managed?

To optimize the chances of a healthy delivery for you and your baby, Mesbah OB/GYN offers a range of screenings, support services, and treatments. These include:

Preconception counseling
Additional routine checkups
Nutrition counseling
Targeted ultrasound
Cervical ultrasound
Amniotic fluid test
Umbilical cord sample
Fetal fibronectin test

Depending on your condition, you might require specific treatments like antibiotics for an infection or medications to lower your blood sugar levels.

To find out whether your pregnancy is high risk and get the best obstetrical care, call Mesbah OB/GYN today, or book an appointment online.