Complications of Pregnancy and Delivery
Learning Outcomes
- Explain potential complications of pregnancy and delivery
Complications of Pregnancy and Delivery
There are a number of common side effects of pregnancy. Not everyone experiences all of these nor do women experience them to the same degree. And although they are considered “minor” these problems are potentially very uncomfortable. These side effects include nausea (particularly during the first 3-4 months of pregnancy as a result of higher levels of estrogen in the system), heartburn, gas, hemorrhoids, backache, leg cramps, insomnia, constipation, shortness of breath or varicose veins (as a result of carrying a heavy load on the abdomen). What is the cure? Delivery!
Major Complications
The following are some serious complications of pregnancy which can pose health risks to mother and child and that often require special care.
- Gestational diabetes is when a woman without diabetes develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy.
- Hyperemesis gravidarum is the presence of severe and persistent vomiting, causing dehydration and weight loss. It is more severe than the more common morning sickness.
- Preeclampsia is gestational hypertension. Severe preeclampsia involves blood pressure over 160/110 with additional signs. Eclampsia is seizures in a pre-eclamptic patient.
- Deep vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, most commonly in the legs.
- A pregnant woman is more susceptible to infections. This increased risk is caused by an increased immune tolerance in pregnancy to prevent an immune reaction against the fetus.
- Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a decrease in heart function which occurs in the last month of pregnancy, or up to six months post-pregnancy.
Maternal Mortality
Maternal mortality is unacceptably high. It was estimated that in 2015, roughly 303,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Almost all of these deaths occurred in low-resource settings, and most could have been prevented. The high number of maternal deaths in some areas of the world reflects inequities in access to health services and highlights the gap between rich and poor. Almost all maternal deaths (99%) occur in developing countries. More than half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and almost one third occur in South Asia.
Almost all maternal deaths can be prevented, as evidenced by the huge disparities found between the richest and poorest countries. The lifetime risk of maternal death in high-income countries is 1 in 3,300, compared to 1 in 41 in low-income. [1]
| Region | 1990 | 2000 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 987 | 846 | 546 |
| South Asia | 558 | 388 | 182 |
| Middle East and North Africa | 221 | 170 | 110 |
| Latin America and Caribbean | 135 | 99 | 68 |
| East Asia and Pacific | 165 | 118 | 62 |
| CDD/CIS | 69 | 56 | 25 |
| Least Developed Countries | 903 | 732 | 436 |
| World | 385 | 341 | 216 |
Even though maternal mortality