High Risk Pregnancy

Pregnancies don’t always come with a happy ending.

In the United States, there are nearly six million pregnancies each year. Out of this number, over four million result in live births. That means that almost two million times a year, a pregnancy ends without the birth of a child.

As you can derive from the numbers, the majority of pregnancies do progress and end well. However, the occurrence of a high risk pregnancy is always a possibility. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the risks.
A fact that many people do not consider is that by the time the presence of a living entity inside the uterus comes to light, the process has already been going forward for several weeks. With this in mind, any attempt to aid in creating a successful delivery should begin long before conception.

When trying to prevent a high risk pregnancy, what you do not do is as important as what you do. Here are some things to avoid: alcohol, cigarettes, drugs (illegal and some prescription and over-the-counter), poor eating habits and poor dental hygiene.

Most of us can understand why drinking alcohol and smoking are prohibited. Both have been linked to premature delivery and birth defects. This is true of illegal drugs too, which are potentially fatal to mother and child. Certain over-counter-drugs (aspirin included) decrease the levels of amniotic fluid cushioning the baby and can result in complications.

Here is information that might not be so obvious. Research has shown that babies born to mothers with gum disease are twice as likely to encounter health problems shortly after birth.

One of the best things you can do to help your baby is take in recommended levels of folic acid. This can be absorbed by eating such foods as breads, bagels and certain breakfast cereals. Folic acid can greatly reduce the risk of birth defects and can also be taken through supplements.

All of these steps can help keep mother and child healthy and make pregnancy a happy experience.