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Potential Problems During Pregnancy

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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