High-Risk Pregnancy

High-risk pregnancies require extra monitoring and specialized care because of medical conditions or complications that can affect the mother, the baby, or both.

At UT Southwestern, maternal-fetal medicine specialists provide advanced evaluation and management for high-risk pregnancies. Patients benefit from coordinated care and access to specialized services throughout pregnancy and delivery.

What Is a High-Risk Pregnancy?

A high-risk pregnancy is one in which the mother or baby has a greater chance of developing health problems during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. It can result from a preexisting chronic health condition or from a health condition that develops during pregnancy in either the mother or baby.

Maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) is a subspecialty of Ob/Gyn. MFM physicians specialize in the care of women with high-risk pregnancies and support mothers and their babies during and after high-risk pregnancies, giving newborns the best possible start in life.

What Common Conditions Are Associated with High-Risk Pregnancy?

High-risk pregnancy can be linked to medical conditions, personal history, or complications that develop during pregnancy.

Preexisting maternal medical conditions include:

Medical and surgical history associated with higher risk includes:

• Prior miscarriages or fetal loss
• Personal or family history of genetic conditions or birth defects
• Prior C-section
• Prior abdominal surgery
• Prior pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia (a serious high blood pressure disorder), poor fetal growth, or preterm birth

Pregnancy-related factors include:

What Are the Symptoms of a High-Risk Pregnancy?

While many symptoms during pregnancy are normal, some may indicate a high-risk condition or complication. These signs include:

• Vaginal bleeding
• New or sudden headaches, which could be related to migraines, preeclampsia, or even stroke
• Vision changes or seizures, which could be related to preeclampsia
• Pelvic pressure or pain
• Preterm contractions, which may be Braxton Hicks contractions (practice contractions, a normal part of pregnancy) or a sign of preterm labor
• Abnormal vaginal discharge, which may indicate an infection or leaking of fluid from around the baby
• Severe itching, which may be related to normal skin stretching or a common rash (pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, or PUPPP) but can also signal intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

How Is a High-Risk Pregnancy Diagnosed?

At UT Southwestern, evaluation of each pregnancy starts with a thorough history and examination of the patient by their obstetrician, with consultation from a MFM specialist when needed.

A pregnancy may be considered high risk when a patient has a preexisting medical condition or develops a complication during pregnancy that increases the risk of problems for either the mother, baby, or both. Many of these complications can be managed by an experienced obstetrician, but some pregnancies require care in collaboration with a MFM specialist.

Why Choose UT Southwestern for High-Risk Pregnancy Care?

We’re recognized throughout North Texas for the care and management of women with complicated pregnancies. At UT Southwestern, we’re more than an MFM practice – we’re a university health system that offers pregnant women quick access to a wide range of adult and pediatric subspecialists.

Our physicians are available to:

• Provide consultations for women with certain risk factors
• Manage care for moms with complex medical problems, such as congenital heart disease, cancer, or pulmonary hypertension
• Manage care for women whose fetus has complex congenital abnormalities

Nationally Ranked in Ob/Gyn

UT Southwestern Medical Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top hospitals for obstetric and gynecological care.

Coordinated High-Risk Pregnancy Care with Community Physicians

Our MFM physicians also work with community-based obstetricians to evaluate and manage complicated pregnancies. Together with adult and pediatric subspecialists, we coordinate any care women and their babies might need while allowing most to continue seeing their primary obstetric provider and deliver at their community hospital.

Should the situation require a complete transfer of care for delivery at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, our MFM physicians are among the few in Dallas who provide total obstetrical care. We welcome referrals locally and from obstetric providers in Texas and surrounding states.

Care for Critically Ill Newborns

Clements University Hospital maintains a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nursery, staffed by neonatology physician specialists and neonatal nurse practitioners. A Level IV NICU at nearby Children’s Health cares for newborns who require surgery soon after birth.

Maternal-Fetal Transport

Our maternal-fetal transport service can assist women who experience complications during labor and delivery. If their doctors determine the baby needs care at a Level IV NICU, the baby can be transported to Children’s Health immediately after birth. There, UT Southwestern faculty coordinate the baby’s care with a team of neonatologists and pediatric surgeons.