High-risk pregnancy

A high-risk pregnancy is a pregnancy where the gestational carrier or the fetus has an increased risk of adverse outcomes compared to uncomplicated pregnancies. No concrete guidelines currently exist for distinguishing “high-risk” pregnancies from “low-risk” pregnancies; however, there are certain studied conditions that have been shown to put the gestational carrier or fetus at a higher risk of poor outcomes. These conditions can be classified into three main categories: health problems in the gestational carrier that occur before the pregnancy, health problems in the gestational carrier that occur during pregnancy, and certain health conditions with the fetus. There are typically ways to medically manage all of these complications, as well as emotionally manage them with anxiety management and high-risk pregnancy specialists.

In 2012, the CDC estimated that there are approximately 65,000 pregnancies deemed "high-risk" in the United States each year. Across the US, 6-8% of women develop a high-risk complication within their pregnancy. Globally, there are 20 million high-risk pregnancies each year.