Understanding High-Risk Pregnancy: A Patient's Guide to Prenatal Complications

A compassionate and insightful guide to understanding high-risk pregnancies.

In the United States, millions of people experience the life-changing event of pregnancy every year, but for nearly one-third of them, the journey comes with heightened risks. In this compassionate guide, obstetrician-gynecologist Alan M. Peaceman, MD, explores the complexities of high-risk pregnancies with the empathy and clarity that every expectant parent deserves.

With over thirty years of experience treating patients with high-risk pregnancies, Dr. Peaceman explains:
- What constitutes a high-risk pregnancy and how to identify factors that make one more likely
- The potential effects of medication use during pregnancy
- How to address anxiety, depression, and postpartum depression for women with preexisting mental health conditions
- The challenges associated with advanced maternal age
- How to manage preexisting health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and autoimmune diseases.
- How to evaluate the baby for genetic and structural abnormalities
- How to identify and treat pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, preterm birth, and placental problems
- Special considerations and strategies for handling multiples

This companion for expectant parents and their families provides essential knowledge and guidance on how to make informed choices while working collaboratively with health care providers.

Alan M. Peaceman, MD, is an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Prentice Women's Hospital of Northwestern Medicine and professor emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.