High Risk Pregnancy
Age by itself should not be major criteria for a high-risk pregnancy. It’s really age plus whatever else is going on with that woman - Sarah J. Kilpatrick, MD PhD
image by: High Risk Pregnancy Center
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Is Having A Baby Over 35 As Risky As We Thought?
I’ll never forget when I first saw the term on my medical record: “Elderly Multigravida.” There it was, like a death sentence, confirming all my worst fears: I was old, and dying of something very, very grave. But, in fact, I was 35 and enjoying a healthy pregnancy with my second child.
“Elderly,” in the language of obstetrics, refers to expectant mothers who are 35 or over. (Multigravida means I had been pregnant more than once. If it were my first pregnancy, my code would have read “Elderly Primagravida.” Just as bad!) But this is just one in a litany of quasi-ageist terms knocked-up over-35’s are blasted with: There was “advanced maternal…
Resources
What Was Going Wrong With My Pregnancy?
As a mother-to-be discovered in her distress, much of prenatal medicine is still a mystery.
Poverty Poses a Bigger Risk to Pregnancy Than Age Does
The problem of income inequality often gets forgotten in conversations about biological clocks.
Pregnancy Kills. Abortion Saves Lives.
Every pregnancy poses a “serious health risk” to the mother.
The Pregnancy Risk Most Doctors Aren't Comfortable Talking About
Eighty-five percent of doctors said they don't want to bring up the topic of chemical exposure even though they're supposed to.
We're really bad at making babies
Human babies are born half-baked and vulnerable, and around 303,000 women died giving birth in 2015. No other primate has such a brutal labor or an infancy so long and helpless.
A Mother’s Zip Code Could Signal Whether Her Baby Will Be Born Too Early
Every year, more than 400,000 women in America have babies who are preterm, low birthweight, or who die before their first birthday.
Daily Checkup: Preventive care is the key to dealing with high risk pregnancies
The idea behind identifying the risk level of a pregnancy is to emphasize preventive care, not to raise expecting moms’ anxiety levels.
High Blood Pressure of Pregnancy Tied to Developmental Problems in Children
Pre-eclampsia was associated with a slightly increased risk of epilepsy, autism and other neurodevelopmental problems in offspring.
Marijuana during pregnancy might be as dangerous as alcohol
But there’s still a lot we don’t know.
So Does Using Marijuana In Pregnancy Hurt A Baby Or Not?
As more states legalize medical marijuana and recreational marijuana, questions about the drug’s effects on a fetus will become a more central public health concern. One significant flaw with most studies looking at marijuana use in pregnancy is that researchers do not take into account that a large proportion of marijuana users also smoke tobacco.
The extraordinary danger of being pregnant and uninsured in Texas
The state’s system for helping the uninsured thwarts women at every turn and encourages subpar care.
The Unspoken Effect of a High-Risk Pregnancy
The reality is, a high-risk pregnancy can happen to anyone. At any time.
This Fetal Monitoring System Is The Best Thing Apple Has Ever Done for Women
Of the many new experiences you might have during a high-risk pregnancy, one of the least fun is a fetal monitoring test called a Non-Stress Test, or NST. It really should be called a High-Stress Test because of the anguish it puts parents through. Apple just made it a little bit better.
Is Having A Baby Over 35 As Risky As We Thought?
Age by itself should not be major criteria for a high-risk pregnancy, says Kilpatrick. “It’s really age plus whatever else is going on with that woman.”
Perinatal Wellness Toolbox
The Perinatal Wellness Toolbox is perfect for you if you’re: Blindsided with the news that you have a high-risk pregnancy. Can't sleep at night because you're so worried about what could happen to your baby. Feeling so overwhelmed you find your bursting into tears frequently. •Blaming yourself for your pregnancy complications.
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