From twins and triplets to high blood pressure and pre-term labor, many situations can lead to a high-risk pregnancy. At Lexington Maternal Fetal Medicine, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice, Paul A. Browne, MD, FACOG, co-manages high-risk pregnancies with an expectant mom's obstetrician or certified nurse midwife. In this WLTX interview, he explains common problems he sees and how he treats them.
Dr. Browne works with other obstetrics providers to help take care of moms who have pregnancy complications.
The two most common groups he sees having complications are women who wait until they're older (late 30's or 40's) to begin having children, and women who are overweight.
Another common problem is preeclampsia - that's a type of high blood pressure that occurs during pregnancy in about 10 percent of women. It can be life-threatening to the mother and may may lead to premature delivery in order to protect the lives of mom and baby. Maintaining a healthy weight and taking some types of medication can lower the chances of preeclampsia.
According to Dr. Browne, the biggest risk factor for an early delivery is having a previous pre-term delivery. In addition, pregnant teenagers have a higher risk of pre-term delivery.
Dr. Browne's advice? If you're planning a pregnancy, talk to your doctor about any health problems you have and begin prenatal care as early as possible.
