Adult Years
High-Risk Pregnancies
| Learn more about why some pregnancies require more care, and how the Sara Lee Center for Women's Health cares for high-risk pregnancies. |
Causes of high-risk pregnancies
High-risk pregnancies can develop in two ways. First, there are factors that can be present before a woman becomes pregnant that can cause a high-risk pregnancy. These include maternal age (very young or old), being overweight or underweight, previous problems with pregnancy, and pre-existing health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or HIV.
Problems can also develop during the course of pregnancy that make it high-risk. These conditions include preeclampsia and eclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm labor, and other medical conditions.












