High-risk pregnancies are pregnancies that pose risks to the health of the mother and/or the child.
They are caused either by a pre-existing medical condition in the mother, by the fetus's development, or by specific events that occur during pregnancy.
A pregnancy is considered high-risk when the expectant mother has a risk factor: she is very young or elderly, or suffers from a chronic condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or a heart condition… ; similarly, if she is carrying twins or multiples, or has specific obstetric history such as a uterine malformation or placenta accreta….
A mother who initially has no particular problems may sometimes experience complications during her pregnancy, such as hemorrhage, gestational hypertension, an infection (for example, a severe urinary tract infection), phlebitis, or even a pulmonary embolism—all conditions that must be diagnosed promptly and treated.
