High-risk pregnancies are any that actually or potentially threaten either the health or life of the mother or her fetus during pregnancy, labor, or birth. From a radiological perspective, high-risk pregnancies may undergo further screening or have close follow-up with growth and well-being scans.
Epidemiology
Approximately 20% (range 6-33%) of women have high-risk pregnancies 1-3.
Pathology
Risk factors
Maternal
The National Institutes of Health (USA) lists the following high-risk pregnancy categories 3:
1. Majella MG, Sarveswaran G, Krishnamoorthy Y, Sivaranjini K, Arikrishnan K, Kumar SG. A longitudinal study on high risk pregnancy and its outcome among antenatal women attending rural primary health centre in Puducherry, South India. (2019) Journal of education and health promotion. 8: 12. doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_144_18 - Pubmed
2. Coco L, Giannone TT, Zarbo G. Management of high-risk pregnancy. (2014) Minerva ginecologica. 66 (4): 383-9. Pubmed