Pregnancy

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Types of Complications See All Autoimmune Disorders See All Blood Pressure Problems See All Preterm Labor See All Diabetes See All Digestive and Liver Disorders See All Fetal Growth Problems See All Infections in Pregnancy See All Nervous System Disorders See All Thyroid Disorders See All Pregnancy Loss See All Other Complications See All

Antiphospholipid Syndrome in Pregnancy in Autoimmune Disorders

Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disease. This happens when your immune system fights against normal cells. In this condition, your body makes antibodies that attack a kind of fat in cells. This makes your blood clot too easily. ...more

Myasthenia Gravis and Pregnancy in Autoimmune Disorders

Myasthenia gravis is a complex autoimmune disorder. It causes antibodies to destroy the connections between your muscles and nerves. This causes muscle weakness and tiredness. ...more

Gestational Hypertension in Blood Pressure Problems

Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure in pregnancy. It occurs in about 3 in 50 pregnancies. ...more

HELLP Syndrome in Blood Pressure Problems

HELLP syndrome is a rare but life-threatening condition in pregnancy. It causes red cells in the blood to break down. It also causes problems with the liver, bleeding, and blood pressure. It's often linked with preeclampsia and eclampsia. It often develops before delivery. But it may also occur after delivery. ...more

Preterm Labor in Preterm Labor

Preterm labor is labor that starts before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Labor is when the uterus regularly tightens and the cervix starts to thin and open. This lets the baby (fetus) enter the birth canal. ...more

Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) in Preterm Labor

Preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM) is a pregnancy complication. In this condition, the sac (amniotic membrane) surrounding your baby breaks (ruptures) before week 37 of pregnancy. Once the sac breaks, you have an increased risk for infection. You also have a higher chance of having your baby born early. ...more

Diabetes During Pregnancy in Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition in which the body can't make enough insulin, or can't use insulin normally. Insulin is a hormone. It helps sugar (glucose) in the blood get into cells of the body to be used as fuel. When glucose can’t enter the cells, it builds up in the blood. This is called high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). ...more

Gestational Diabetes in Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that happens during pregnancy. The symptoms of gestational diabetes usually go away after delivery. But sometimes they do not, or you may develop type 2 diabetes later. ...more

Hyperemesis Gravidarum in Digestive and Liver Disorders

Many pregnant women have some nausea and sometimes vomiting in the first trimester. A few pregnant women have a severe kind of nausea and vomiting called hyperemesis gravidarum. Read on to learn more about this condition. ...more

Cholestasis of Pregnancy in Digestive and Liver Disorders

Cholestasis of pregnancy is a liver problem. It slows or stops the normal flow of bile from the gallbladder. This causes itching and yellowing of your skin, eyes, and mucous membranes (jaundice). Cholestasis sometimes starts in early pregnancy. But it is more common in the second and third trimesters. It most often goes away within a few days after delivery. The high levels of bile may cause serious problems for your developing baby (fetus). ...more

Fetal Growth Restriction in Fetal Growth Problems

Fetal growth restriction is a condition in which an unborn baby is smaller than expected for the number of weeks of pregnancy (gestational age). ...more

Very Low Birth Weight in Fetal Growth Problems

Very low birth weight is a term used to describe babies who are born weighing less than 3 pounds, 4 ounces. It is very rare that babies are born this tiny. Only about 1 in 100 babies born in the U.S. are very low birth weight. ...more

Maternal and Fetal Infections in Infections in Pregnancy

In pregnancy, infections are a common complication—but women may not have obvious symptoms, or they may show different symptoms of an infection. ...more

Group B Streptococcus Infection in Babies in Infections in Pregnancy

Group B streptococcus (strep) is a type of bacteria. It can be found in the digestive tract, urinary tract, and genital area of adults. About 1 in 4 pregnant women carry GBS in their rectum or vagina. During pregnancy, the mother can pass the infection to the baby. The fetus can get GBS during pregnancy. Newborns can get it from the mother's genital tract during delivery. ...more

Migraine Headaches During Pregnancy in Nervous System Disorders

Many women have migraine headaches while pregnant. The good news is that you don't have to give in to the pain when it strikes. Know what pain-relief choices are safest for you. ...more

Epilepsy During Pregnancy in Nervous System Disorders

Epilepsy is a disorder of the nervous system. It is also called a seizure disorder. Normally the body's nerves send information by electrical and chemical signals. People with epilepsy have abnormal electrical signals in the brain. This can cause a seizure. Seizures can cause severe shaking of muscles. Or they may be very mild with hardly any symptoms at all. ...more

Graves Disease in a Newborn (Neonatal Graves Disease) in Thyroid Disorders

Graves disease is an autoimmune disease. The immune system normally protects the body from germs with chemicals called antibodies. But with an autoimmune disease, it makes antibodies that attack the body’s own tissues. With Graves disease, antibodies cause the thyroid gland to make too much thyroid hormone. This is known as hyperthyroidism. Extra thyroid hormone in the bloodstream leads to the body's metabolism being too active. ...more

Congenital Hypothyroidism in Children in Thyroid Disorders

Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. Congenital hypothyroidism is when the disorder is present in a baby at birth. If not treated, it can lead to serious health problems. ...more

Overview of Pregnancy Loss in Pregnancy Loss

Pregnancy loss is the death of an unborn baby (fetus) at any time during pregnancy. Pregnancy loss may occur in as many as 1 in every 4 pregnancies. Most pregnancy losses happen during the first trimester. ...more

Miscarriage in Pregnancy Loss

Miscarriage is a pregnancy loss in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. About 10% to 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, most often in the first trimester (first 13 weeks of pregnancy). Read on to learn more. ...more

Hydramnios in Other Complications

In this condition, there is too much amniotic fluid around your baby during pregnancy. It happens in about 1 in 100 pregnancies. ...more

Anemia in Pregnancy in Other Complications

Anemia is when your blood has too few red blood cells. Having too few red blood cells makes it harder for your blood to carry oxygen or iron. This can affect how cells work in nerves and muscles. During pregnancy, your baby also needs your blood. ...more