Pregnancy is a special and
critical time in the development of a new life.
A new life has started and must be cared for even before birth. There are several things that can contribute
or lead to a high risk pregnancy. A high
risk pregnancy can lead to many problems for the unborn child, as well as the
mother. Some high risk pregnancies can
result in a baby born prematurely, with a low birth weight, and other organs or
body functions that are not fully developed.
(Whitney et al. 489).
Unfortunately, high risk pregnancies can also be life threatening for
both the mother and the child.
Malnutrition is one type of
risk for a high risk pregnancy.
Malnutrition can affect fertility;
women may stop having menstrual cycles and men’s sperm may be less
viable. Should a woman who is
malnutritioned become pregnant, it is possible that the placenta may not
develop adequately. A child born with an
inadequate placenta may have physical and/or mental disabilities due to the
fact that they were unable to receive proper nutrition during gestation. A fetus without proper nutrition also has a
higher chances of being miscarried or being stillborn (490).
The health of the mother
before and during pregnancy has a great effect on the pregnancy. Pregnant women should get proper medical
screenings during pregnancy, ideally before conception, early in the pregnancy,
throughout the pregnancy, and post partum visits. A woman with diabetes can suffer from
infertility, periods of very high or very low blood sugar levels, and possible
premature births. A woman with diabetes
may also have hypertension during pregnancy.
A diabetic mother is at higher risk of giving birth to a child with
physical or mental problems, and other health problems that can be fatal. Gestational diabetes can also occur, which is
when a pregnant woman develops diabetes during pregnancy, typically in the
second half of the pregnancy (491).
Hypertension is another
problem that can cause high risk pregnancies. As with diabetes, hypertension can be a
problem for the mother before conception, or it can become a problem during the
course of the pregnancy. High blood
pressure can lead to low birth weight babies.
The placenta can also become separated from the uterus, which can result
in the child being stillborn.
Gestational hypertension can also be a serious indicator of a possible
complication called preeclampsia (491).
Preeclampsia causes are
unknown, but may be due to obesity or genetics.
Preeclampsia is noted by a protein found in urine and by the onset of
gestational hypertension. Preeclampsia
has a negative affect on the mother’s liver, kidneys, brain, and circulatory
system. The risks to the fetus include
epilepsy, and possible stillbirth or premature births (491).
A mother’s age can also be a
risk factor that can lead to a high risk pregnancy. A teenage mother may suffer from any of the
prementioned risk factors. In addition,
a teenage mother may not be fully done growing herself. Teenagers may not have adequate nutrition,
access to prenatal healthcare, due to the fact that they typically do not have
the financial resources to afford proper nutrition and medical treatment. Due to these factors, babies of teenage
mothers may be born with physical problems, low birth weight, and may be born
prematurely. Teenagers typically have
higher rates of stillbirth (492). On the
other side, women who become pregnant when they are older may already have
underlying health issues, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, which leads
to higher rates of cesarean section births.
These factors increase maternal death rates in women over 35. Babies of older moms are more likely to be
born early, have lower birth rates, and higher rates of birth defects (492,
493).
A woman who is pregnant, is
planning to become pregnant, or who could possibly be pregnant should take
special care in whatever substances she puts into her body. Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can
irreversibly damage an unborn child. A
woman who drinks alcohol during pregnancy can cause her child to have fetal
alcohol syndrome, which causes a child to be born both mentally and physically
retarded. Street drugs can cause babies
to be born preterm, with low birth weight, and can cause death. A child born may have delayed cognitive
development and may never recover from the damage their nervous system received
during pregnancy. Smoking during
pregnancy limits the oxygen the child receives and can result in low birth
weight babies as well as other complication due to interference with heart,
lung, and brain development and function.
Caffeine, excess vitamin use, and herbal supplements should also be
avoided during pregnancy as well.
The best option for women who
want to become pregnant is to have their blood sugar, blood pressure, overall
health, and nutrition under control before conception. Pregnant women should take extra care to
consume adequate calories and nutrients, get adequate pre and post natal
medical care and avoid toxins as much as possible prior to and during
pregnancy.
Works
Cited
Whitney, Ellie, and Sharon
Rady Rolfes. Understanding Nutrition.
14th ed., Cengage, 2016.
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