Complications of pregnancy are health problems that are related to, or arise during pregnancy. Complications that occur primarily during childbirth are termed obstetric labor complications, and problems that occur primarily after childbirth are termed puerperal disorders. While some complications improve or are fully resolved after pregnancy, some may lead to lasting effects, morbidity, or in the most severe cases, maternal or fetal mortality.[1][2][3]
Common complications of pregnancy include anemia, gestational diabetes, infections, gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia.[4][5] Presence of these types of complications can have implications on monitoring lab work, imaging, and medical management during pregnancy.[4]
Severe complications of pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium are present in 1.6% of mothers in the US,[6] and in 1.5% of mothers in Canada.[7] In the immediate postpartum period (puerperium), 87% to 94% of women report at least one health problem.[8][9] Long-term health problems (persisting after six months postpartum) are reported by 31% of women.[10]
Complications of pregnancy can sometimes arise from abnormally severe presentations of symptoms and discomforts of pregnancy, which usually do not significantly interfere with activities of daily living or pose any significant threat to the health of the birthing person or fetus. For example, morning sickness is a fairly common mild symptom of pregnancy that generally resolves in the second trimester, but hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe form of this symptom that sometimes requires medical intervention to prevent electrolyte imbalances from severe vomiting.
^Glazener CM, Abdalla M, Stroud P, Naji S, Templeton A, Russell IT (April 1995). "Postnatal maternal morbidity: extent, causes, prevention and treatment". British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 102 (4): 282–287. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1995.tb09132.x. PMID7612509. S2CID38872754.
^Thompson JF, Roberts CL, Currie M, Ellwood DA (June 2002). "Prevalence and persistence of health problems after childbirth: associations with parity and method of birth". Birth. 29 (2): 83–94. doi:10.1046/j.1523-536X.2002.00167.x. PMID12051189.
^Borders N (2006). "After the afterbirth: a critical review of postpartum health relative to method of delivery". Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health. 51 (4): 242–248. doi:10.1016/j.jmwh.2005.10.014. PMID16814217.