Pregnancy complications

Complications of pregnancy are health problems that occur during

pregnancy. They can involve the mother's health, the baby's health, or both. Some
women have health problems before they become pregnant that could lead to
complications. Other problems arise during the pregnancy. Whether a complication is
common or rare, there are ways to manage problems that come up during pregnancy.

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Health problems before pregnancy

Before pregnancy, make sure to talk to your doctor about health problems you have
now or have had in the past. If you are receiving treatment for a health problem, your
doctor might want to change the way your health problem is managed. Some medicines
used to treat health problems could be harmful if taken during pregnancy. At the same
time, stopping medicines that you need could be more harmful than the risks posed
should you become pregnant. Be assured that you are likely to have a normal, healthy
baby when health problems are under control and you get good prenatal care.

Health problems before pregnancy

Condition How it can affect pregnancy Where to learn more

Asthma Poorly controlled asthma may increase risk • Lung diseases fact
of preeclampsia, poor weight gain in the sheet
fetus, preterm birth, cesarean birth, and other
complications. If pregnant women stop using
asthma medicine, even mild asthma can become
severe.

Depression Depression that persists during pregnancy can • Depression fact

make it hard for a woman to care for herself and sheet
her unborn baby. Having depression before • Depression during
pregnancy also is a risk factor for postpartum and after pregnancy
depression. fact sheet

Diabetes High blood glucose (sugar) levels during • Diabetes fact sheet
pregnancy can harm the fetus and worsen a
woman's long-term diabetes complications.
 Doctors advise getting diabetes under control at
least three to six months before trying to
conceive.

Eating disorders Body image changes during pregnancy can cause • Anorexia nervosa
eating disorders to worsen. Eating disorders are fact sheet
linked to many pregnancy complications, • Bulimia nervosa fact
including birth defects and premature birth. sheet
Women with eating disorders also have higher
rates of postpartum depression.

Epilepsy and Seizures during pregnancy can harm the fetus, • About Epilepsy
other seizure disorders and increase the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth.
But using medicine to control seizures might
cause birth defects. For most pregnant women
with epilepsy, using medicine poses less risk to
their own health and the health of their babies
than stopping medicine.

High blood pressure Having chronic high blood pressure puts a • Information on high
pregnant woman and her baby at risk for blood pressure from
problems. Women with high blood pressure have the National Heart,
a higher risk of preeclampsia and placental Lung, and Blood
abruption (when the placenta separates from the Institute
wall of the uterus). The likelihood of preterm
birth and low birth weight also is higher.

HIV HIV can be passed from a woman to her baby • HIV and AIDS
during pregnancy or delivery. Yet this risk is less
than 1 percent if a woman takes certain HIV
medicines during pregnancy. Women who have
HIV and want to become pregnant should talk to
their doctors before trying to conceive. Good
prenatal care will help protect a woman's baby
from HIV and keep her healthy.

Migraine Migraine symptoms tend to improve during • Migraine fact sheet

pregnancy. Some women have no migraine
attacks during pregnancy. Certain medicines
commonly used to treat headaches should not
be used during pregnancy. A woman who has
severe headaches should speak to her doctor
about ways to relieve symptoms safely.
Overweight Recent studies suggest that the heavier a woman • Overweight, obesity,
and Obesity is before she becomes pregnant, the greater her and weight loss fact
risk of a range of pregnancy complications, sheet
including preeclampsia and preterm delivery.
Overweight and obese women who lose weight
before pregnancy are likely to have healthier
pregnancies.

Sexually transmitted Some STIs can cause early labor, a woman's • Sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) water to break too early, and infection in infections fact sheet
the uterus after birth. Some STIs also can be
passed from a woman to her baby during
pregnancy or delivery. Some ways STIs can harm
the baby include: low birth weight, dangerous
infections, brain damage, blindness, deafness,
liver problems, or stillbirth.

Thyroid disease Uncontrolled hyperthyroidism (overactive • Graves' disease fact

thyroid) can be dangerous to the mother and sheet
cause health problems such as heart failure and • Hashimoto's disease
poor weight gain in the fetus. Uncontrolled fact sheet
hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) also
threatens the mother's health and can cause
birth defects.

Uterine fibroids Uterine fibroids are not uncommon, but few • Uterine fibroids fact
cause symptoms that require treatment. Uterine sheet
fibroids rarely cause miscarriage. Sometimes,
fibroids can cause preterm or breech
birth. Cesarean delivery may be needed if a
fibroid blocks the birth canal.

Pregnancy related problems

Sometimes pregnancy problems arise — even in healthy women. Some prenatal tests
done during pregnancy can help prevent these problems or spot them early. Use this
chart to learn about some common pregnancy complications. Call your doctor if you
have any of the symptoms on this chart. If a problem is found, make sure to follow your
doctor's advice about treatment. Doing so will boost your chances of having a safe
delivery and a strong, healthy baby.

Health problems during pregnancy

 Problem Symptoms Treatment

Anemia – Lower than normal • Feel tired or weak Treating the underlying cause of
number of healthy red blood • Look pale the anemia will help restore the
cells • Feel faint number of healthy red blood cells.
• Shortness of breath Women with pregnancy related
anemia are helped by
taking iron and folic acid
supplements. Your doctor will
check your iron levels throughout
pregnancy to be sure anemia does
not happen again.
Depression – Extreme sadness • Intense sadness Women who are pregnant
during pregnancy or after birth • Helplessness and irritability might be helped with one or a
(postpartum) • Appetite changes combination of treatment
• Thoughts of harming self options, including:
or baby
• Therapy
• Support groups
• Medicines

A mother's depression can

affect her baby's development,
so getting treatment is
important for both mother and
baby. Learn more
about depression during and
after pregnancy.
Ectopic pregnancy – When a • Abdominal pain With ectopic pregnancy, the egg
fertilized egg implants outside • Shoulder pain cannot develop. Drugs or surgery
of the uterus, usually in • Vaginal bleeding is used to remove the ectopic
the fallopian tube • Feeling dizzy or faint tissue so your organs are not
damaged.
Fetal problems – Unborn baby • Baby moving less than Treatment depends on results of
has a health issue, such as normal (Learn how tests to monitor baby's health. If a
poor growth or heart problems to count your baby's test suggests a problem, this does
movements on our not always mean the baby is in
Prenatal care and tests trouble. It may only mean that the
page.) mother needs special care until
• Baby is smaller than
the baby is delivered. This can
normal for gestational age
include a wide variety of things,
• Some problems have no
symptoms, but are found such as bed rest, depending on
with prenatal tests the mother's condition.
 Sometimes, the baby has to be
delivered early.
Gestational diabetes – Too • Usually, there are no Most women with pregnancy
high blood sugar levels during symptoms. Sometimes, related diabetes can control
pregnancy extreme thirst, hunger, or their blood sugar levels by a
fatigue following a healthy meal plan
• Screening test shows high from their doctor. Some women
blood sugar levels also need insulin to keep blood
sugar levels under control.
Doing so is important because
poorly controlled diabetes
increases the risk of:

• Preeclampsia
• Early delivery
• Cesearean birth
• Having a big baby, which
can complicate delivery
• Baby born with low blood
sugar, breathing
problems, and jaundice

High blood • High blood pressure The health of the mother and
pressure (pregnancy related) – without other signs and baby are closely watched to make
High blood pressure that starts symptoms of preeclampsia sure high blood pressure is not
after 20 weeks of pregnancy preeclampsia.
and goes away after birth
Hyperemesis • Nausea that does not go Dry, bland foods and fluids
gravidarum (HG) – Severe, away together is the first line of
persistent nausea and • Vomiting several times treatment. Sometimes, medicines
vomiting during pregnancy — every day are prescribed to help nausea.
more extreme than "morning • Weight loss Many women with HG have to be
• Reduced appetite
sickness" hospitalized so they can be fed
• Dehydration
fluids and nutrients through a
• Feeling faint or fainting
tube in their veins. Usually,
women with HG begin to feel
better by the 20th week of
pregnancy. But some women
vomit and feel nauseated
throughout all three trimesters.
Miscarriage – Pregnancy loss Signs of a miscarriage can In most cases, miscarriage cannot
from natural causes before 20 include: be prevented. Sometimes, a
weeks. As many as 20 percent woman must undergo treatment
of pregnancies end in to remove pregnancy tissue in
miscarriage. Often, miscarriage • Vaginal spotting or the uterus. Counseling can help
occurs before a woman even bleeding* with emotional healing. See our
knows she is pregnant • Cramping or abdominal section on Pregnancy loss.
pain
• Fluid or tissue passing from
the vagina

* Spotting early in pregnancy

doesn't mean miscarriage is
certain. Still, contact your
doctor right away if you have
any bleeding.
Placenta • Painless vaginal bleeding If diagnosed after the 20th week
previa – Placenta covers part during second or third of pregnancy, but with no
or entire opening trimester bleeding, a woman will need to
of cervix inside of the uterus • For some, no symptoms cut back on her activity level and
increase bed rest. If bleeding is
heavy, hospitalization may be
needed until mother and baby are
stable. If the bleeding stops or is
light, continued bed rest is
resumed until baby is ready for
delivery. If bleeding doesn't stop
or if preterm labor starts, baby
will be delivered by cesarean
section.
Placental • Vaginal bleeding When the separation is minor,
abruption – Placenta separates • Cramping, abdominal pain, bed rest for a few days usually
from uterine wall before and uterine tenderness stops the bleeding. Moderate
delivery, which can mean the cases may require complete bed
fetus doesn't get enough rest. Severe cases (when more
oxygen. than half of the placenta
separates) can require immediate
medical attention and early
delivery of the baby.
Preeclampsia – A condition • High blood pressure The only cure is delivery, which
starting after 20 weeks of • Swelling of hands and face may not be best for the baby.
pregnancy that causes high • Too much protein in urine Labor will probably be induced if
blood pressure and problems • Stomach pain condition is mild and the woman
with the kidneys and other • Blurred vision is near term (37 to 40 weeks of
• Dizziness
organs. Also called toxemia. pregnancy). If it is too early to
• Headaches
deliver, the doctor will watch the
health of the mother and her
baby very closely. She may need
 medicines and bed rest at home
or in the hospital to lower her
blood pressure. Medicines also
might be used to prevent the
mother from having seizures.
Preterm labor – Going into • Increased vaginal discharge Medicines can stop labor from
labor before 37 weeks of • Pelvic pressure and progressing. Bed rest is often
pregnancy cramping advised. Sometimes, a woman
• Back pain radiating to the must deliver early. Giving birth
abdomen before 37 weeks is called
• Contractions "preterm birth." Preterm birth is a
major risk factor for future
preterm births.
Infections during pregnancy

During pregnancy, your baby is protected from many illnesses, like the common cold or
a passing stomach bug. But some infections can be harmful to your pregnancy, your
baby, or both. This chart provides an overview of infections that can be harmful during
pregnancy. Learn the symptoms and what you can do to keep healthy. Easy steps, such
as hand washing, practicing safe sex, and avoiding certain foods, can help protect you
from some infections.

Infections during pregnancy

Infection Symptoms Prevention and treatment

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) • Grey or whitish How to prevent BV is unclear. BV is

discharge that has a not passed through sexual contact,
A vaginal infection that is foul, fishy odor although it is linked with having a
caused by an overgrowth of • Burning when passing new or more than one sex partner.
bacteria normally found in urine or itching
the vagina. • Some women have no Women with symptoms should be
symptoms tested for BV.
BV has been linked
to preterm birth and low Antibiotics are used to treat BV.
birth weight babies.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) • Mild illness that may Good hygiene is the best way to keep
include fever, sore from getting CMV.
A common virus that can throat, fatigue, and
cause disease in infants swollen glands No treatment is currently available.
whose mothers are infected But studies are looking at antiviral
with CMV during drugs for use in infants. Work to
pregnancy. CMV infection • Some women have no create a CMV vaccine also is
in infants can lead to symptoms underway.
hearing loss, vision loss,
and other disabilities.
Group B strep (GBS) • No symptoms You can keep from passing GBS to
your baby by getting tested at 35 to
Group B strep is a type of 37 weeks. This simply involves
bacteria often found in swabbing the vagina and rectum and
the vagina and rectum of does not hurt.
healthy women. One in four
women has it. GBS usually If you have GBS, an antibiotic given
is not harmful to you, but to you during labor will protect your
can be deadly to your baby baby from infection. Make sure to
if passed during childbirth. tell the labor and delivery staff that
you are a group B strep carrier when
you check into the hospital.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) There may be no Lab tests can find out if the mother is
symptoms. Or symptoms a carrier of hepatitis B.
A viral infection that can be can include:
passed to baby during birth. You can protect your baby for life
Newborns that get infected • Nausea, vomiting, from HBV with the hepatitis B
have a 90 percent chance of and diarrhea vaccine, which is a series of three
developing lifelong • Dark urine and pale shots:
infection. This can lead to bowel movements
liver damage and liver • Whites of eyes or skin • First dose of hepatitis B vaccine
cancer. A vaccine can keep looks yellow plus HBIG shot given to baby at
newborns from getting birth
HBV. But 1 in 5 newborns • Second dose of hepatitis B
of mothers who are HBV vaccine given to baby at 1-2
positive don't get the months old
vaccine at the hospital • Third dose of hepatitis B vaccine
before leaving. given to baby at 6 months old
(but not before 24 weeks old)

Influenza (flu) • Fever (sometimes) or Getting a flu shot is the first and most
feeling feverish/chills important step in protecting against
Flu is a common viral • Cough flu. The flu shot given during
infection that is more likely • Sore throat pregnancy is safe and has been
to cause severe illness in • Runny or stuffy nose shown to protect both the mother and
pregnant women than in • Muscle or body aches her baby (up to 6 months old) from
women who are not • Headaches flu. (The nasal spray vaccine should
pregnant. Pregnant woman • Feeling tired not be given to women who are
with flu also have a greater • Vomiting and pregnant.)
chance for serious problems diarrhea (sometimes)
for their unborn baby,
including premature labor If you get sick with flu-like
and delivery. symptoms call your doctor right
away. If needed, the doctor will
prescribe an antiviral medicine that
treats the flu.
Listeriosis • Fever, muscle aches, Avoid foods that can harbor listeria.
chills
An infection with the • Sometimes diarrhea Antibiotics are used to treat
harmful bacteria called or nausea listeriosis.
listeria. It is found in some • If progresses, severe
refrigerated and ready-to- headache and stiff
eat foods. Infection can neck
cause early
delivery or miscarriage.
Parvovirus B19 (fifth • Low-grade fever No specific treatment, except for blood
disease) • Tiredness transfusions that might be needed for
• Rash on face, trunk, people who have problems with their
Most pregnant women who and limbs immune systems or with red blood cell
are infected with this virus • Painful and swollen disorders. There is no vaccine to help
do not have serious joints prevent infection with this virus.
problems. But there is a
small chance the virus can
infect the fetus. This raises
the risk
of miscarriage during the
first 20 weeks of
pregnancy. Fifth disease
can cause severe anemia in
women who have red blood
cell disorders like sickle
cell disease or immune
system problems.
Sexually transmitted • Symptoms depend on STIs can be prevented by practicing
infection (STI) the STI. Often, a safe sex. A woman can keep from
woman has no passing an STI to her baby by being
An infection that is passed symptoms, which is screened early in pregnancy.
through sexual contact. why screening for STIs
Many STIs can be passed to during pregnancy is Treatments vary depending on the
the baby in the womb or so important. STI. Many STIs are treated easily
during birth. Some effects • For more information, with antibiotics.
include stillbirth, low birth see our Sexually
weight, and life-threatening transmitted infections
infections. STIs also can fact sheet.
cause a woman's water to
break too early or preterm
labor.
Toxoplasmosis • Mild flu-like You can lower your risk by:
symptoms, or
This infection is caused by possibly no • Washing hands with soap after
a parasite, which is found in symptoms. touching soil or raw meat
cat feces, soil, and raw or • Washing produce before eating
undercooked meat. If • Cooking meat completely
passed to an unborn baby, • Washing cooking utensils with
the infection can cause hot, soapy water
hearing loss, blindness, or • Not cleaning cats' litter boxes
intellectual disabilities.
Medicines are used to treat a
pregnant woman and her unborn
baby. Sometimes, the baby is treated
with medicine after birth.
Urinary tract • Pain or burning when UTIs are treated with antibiotics.
infection (UTI) urinating
• Frequent urination
Bacterial infection in • Pelvis, back, stomach,
urinary tract. If untreated, it or side pain
can spread to the kidneys, • Shaking, chills, fever,
which can cause preterm sweats
labor.
Yeast infection • Extreme itchiness in Vaginal creams and suppositories are
and around the used to treat yeast infection during
An infection caused by an vagina pregnancy.
overgrowth of bacteria • Burning, redness, and
normally found in swelling of the vagina
the vagina. Yeast infections and the vulva
are more common during • Pain when passing
pregnancy than in other urine or during sex
times of a woman's life. • A thick, white vaginal
They do not threaten the discharge that looks
health of your baby. But like cottage cheese
they can be uncomfortable and does not have a
and difficult to treat in bad smell
pregnancy.
When to call the doctor

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Page last updated: April 19, 2019