Risk Factors
Planning a pregnancy? An important part of planning is finding out if you have any risks. Some women have a greater chance of a high-risk pregnancy because of certain factors. These include their genetic background, certain medical conditions, and lifestyle.
Pregnancy risk factors include:
Being younger than 18 or older than 35
Being underweight or overweight
Having a low red blood cell count (anemia) and eating an unhealthy diet
Having low socioeconomic status
Having given birth more than 4 times
Having a previous preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks’ gestation)
Having given birth to a very large or very small baby
Having a previous pregnancy loss
Having a family history of genetic disease or a previous baby with a birth defect
Substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs)
Having a medical condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease
Taking infertility medications or treatments (these raise your risk for multiple births)
Other factors can also pose a risk to your developing baby. These include high temperatures, radiation exposure, and high altitudes.
Listed below are links to other information on risk factors for pregnancy.