High-Risk Pregnancies On The Rise

SEENA was in the 32nd week of her pregnancy when her doctor told the baby was developing complications of anaemia due to blood group incompatibility.

- ANNA JOSE

She was in a dilemma. The mother, who is Rh-negative, was carrying a Rhpositive foetus - a condition that causes the mother's immune system to attack the foetus's red blood cells - which could lead to serious health problems for the baby. To treat the condition, intrauterine foetal blood transfusion (IUT)-injecting red blood cells from a donor into a foetus that has anemia through the umbilical vein-was performed. The baby was safely delivered with minimal issues related to prematurity.

According to Dr Sindhu Pudhukudi, consultant in foetal medicine at Aster Medcity, Kochi, advancements in medical sciences and health care have improved the management of high-risk pregnancies. "In this condition, anti-D injection and other treatment options have helped reduce the number of such cases. The risk related to pregnancy, haemorrhages, and hypertension has reduced because of advancements in maternal-foetal care," she said.

With delayed pregnancies, sedentary lifestyles, and comorbid conditions, there is a growing trend of high-risk pregnancies -pregnancies that involve increased risk or complications for the mother or the foetus.

Dr Smitha Surendran, consultant gynaecologist at Kinder Hospital, Kochi, said that lifestyle and an imbalanced diet often lead to high-risk pregnancies. "Sedentary lifestyle, food habits, metabolic diseases, and stress contribute to the condition in several women. Lifestyle modifications, reduced stress, and better and balanced food habits can help decrease the possibility of high-risk pregnancies to an extent," said Dr Smitha.

The possibility of high-risk pregnancy increases with advancing age. As the younger generation opts for late marriages in their 30s, there has been a rise in pregnancies with high-risk factors. "Age is an important contributing factor for high-risk pregnancies.