Health Problems in Pregnancy

Summary

Every pregnancy has some risk of problems. You may have problems because of a health condition you had before you got pregnant. You could also develop a condition during pregnancy. Other causes of problems during pregnancy can include being pregnant with more than one baby, a health problem in a previous pregnancy, drug use during pregnancy, or being over age 35. Any of these can affect your health, the health of your baby, or both.

If you have a chronic condition, you should talk to your health care provider about how to minimize your risk before you get pregnant. Once you are pregnant, you may need a health care team to monitor your pregnancy. Some common health problems that can complicate a pregnancy include:

• High blood pressure
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Kidney problems
• Autoimmune disorders
• Obesity
• HIV/AIDS
• Cancer
• Infections

Other conditions that can make pregnancy risky can happen while you are pregnant – for example, gestational diabetes and Rh incompatibility. Good prenatal care can help detect and treat them.

Some discomforts, like nausea, back pain, and fatigue, are common during pregnancy. Sometimes it is hard to know what is normal. Call your health care provider if something is bothering or worrying you.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Start Here

• About High-Risk Pregnancy Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Pregnancy Complications Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
• Pregnancy Complications Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Pregnant and Postpartum Women Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• What Are Some Factors that Make a Pregnancy High Risk? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• What Health Problems Can Develop during Pregnancy? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Specifics

• Anemia March of Dimes Foundation
• Back Pain during Pregnancy American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Bleeding and Spotting from the Vagina during Pregnancy March of Dimes Foundation
• Bleeding during Pregnancy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Blood Clotting and Pregnancy American Society of Hematology
• Cervical Length: Why Does It Matter during Pregnancy? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Fetal Growth Restriction American Academy of Family Physicians
• Incompetent Cervix Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Morning Sickness: Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Placental Abruption March of Dimes Foundation
• Placental Accreta, Increta, and Percreta March of Dimes Foundation
• Pregnancy after 35: Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Babies Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Related Issues

• Asthma, Allergies and Pregnancy American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
• Delivering Safer Pregnancies: Lower Your Risk of Health Problems National Institutes of Health
• Depression and Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists
• Epilepsy and Pregnancy American Academy of Family Physicians
• Gaucher Disease in Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists
• Having Kids Later in Life: Healthy Pregnancies as You Age National Institutes of Health
• Headaches during Pregnancy: What’s the Best Treatment? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Heart Conditions and Pregnancy: Know the Risks Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Hyperthermia and Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists
• IBS in Women International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists
• Partners, Friends, and Family of Pregnant or Postpartum Women Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Pregnancy and Reproductive Issues National Multiple Sclerosis Society
• Pregnancy and Rheumatic Disease American College of Rheumatology
• Pregnancy and Thyroid Disease National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• What You Should Know about Sickle Cell Disease and Pregnancy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Will Stress during Pregnancy Affect My Baby? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Patient Handouts

• Bed rest during pregnancy Medical Encyclopedia
• Hydramnios Medical Encyclopedia
• Hyperemesis gravidarum Medical Encyclopedia
• Insufficient cervix Medical Encyclopedia
• Placenta abruptio Medical Encyclopedia
• Placenta previa Medical Encyclopedia
• Pregnancy – health risks Medical Encyclopedia
• Vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy Medical Encyclopedia
• Vaginal bleeding in late pregnancy Medical Encyclopedia
• Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy Medical Encyclopedia

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• By the Numbers: Health Disparities in Pregnancy
• High-Risk Pregnancy: What You Need to Know
• Mother Spreads Awareness After Multiple Preeclampsia Diagnoses
• Reducing Health Disparities Around Pregnancy
• The New Role of Artificial Intelligence in NIH Pregnancy Research

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy Complications National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy, High-Risk National Institutes of Health

Find an Expert

• Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Find an Ob-Gyn American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• March of Dimes Foundation March of Dimes Foundation

Encyclopedia

• Diastasis recti Medical Encyclopedia
• Intrauterine growth restriction Medical Encyclopedia
• Peripartum cardiomyopathy Medical Encyclopedia
• Placenta abruption – definition Medical Encyclopedia
• Placental insufficiency Medical Encyclopedia
• Polyhydramnios Medical Encyclopedia
• Serum progesterone Medical Encyclopedia

Diagnosis and Tests

• Estrogen Levels Test National Library of Medicine
• Prenatal Testing: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• Progesterone Test National Library of Medicine

Journal Articles

• Health Problems in Pregnancy

Symptoms

• Urgent Maternal Warning Signs Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Who Is at Increased Risk of Health Problems during Pregnancy? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development