Dangers to watch out for in pregnancy
MOST women will enjoy little or no complications during their pregnancy. However, for other moms-to-be, obstetrician-gynaecologist at ICON Medical Centre Dr Keisha Buchanan says pregnancy can be a treacherous road riddled with serious and sometimes life-threatening complications.
But with so many new things happening with a woman’s body, how does she discern what is normal and what is alarming?
“Identification of potential dangers and avoiding these can prevent problems in pregnancy. The fact is any number of things that were normal to do or could be treated with at a later date may warrant immediate medical attention in a pregnant woman. It is one of those times in your life when you always want to be cautious,” Dr Buchanan advised.
Below Dr Buchanan shares some dangers to watch out for when you are nurturing a little human in your womb:
What you eat
Dietary factors which are not normally dangerous prior to pregnancy can cause problems during pregnancy. “One example is alcohol intake; pregnant women are warned to stay away from alcohol because of the possibility of the infant developing foetal alcohol syndrome, a condition associated with mental retardation, facial abnormalities and behavioural problems,” Dr Buchanan said.
Similarly, women are encouraged to stay away from deep water fish such as mackerel, barracuda and shark since these have higher levels of mercury that can negatively affect the baby’s brain development.
“Women are also told to avoid smoking and second-hand smoke (as best as possible) because these can cause foetal growth restriction and restrict the amniotic fluid levels around the baby,” Dr Buchanan shared.
Medical procedures
Avoiding exposure to X-rays is very important. Dr Buchanan warned that X-rays should only be carried out during pregnancy if they are completely unavoidable.
“If there is trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident, then an X-ray will be needed. However, we don’t want pregnant women getting X-rays. Most X-ray exposure such as a simple spinal or skull X-ray will not cause injury to the foetus since a shield is placed across the abdomen to protect the foetus, but extensive exposure to X-rays such as during fluoroscopy examinations, such as with the barium enema, should be avoided in pregnancy, or repeat X-rays to the abdomen over a short period of time can be dangerous,” Dr Buchanan explained. She said that performing an X-ray in the earlier stages of the pregnancy which is about the first eight weeks carry the greatest risk of causing damage to the embryo.
STIs can wreak havoc
Sexually transmitted infections are dangerous in pregnancy and can trigger premature rupture of the membranes and premature delivery which can increase the risk of serious complications associated with prematurity in the baby or even premature death,” Dr Buchanan explained. She said that there is also the possibility of exposure to the disease which can also result in other complications. As such, it is therefore best to protect yourself from STIs by using a condom, practising abstinence, or being in a monogamous relationship.
Vaginal bleeding
While light spotting may not be a cause for alarm, especially in early pregnancy, Dr Buchanan said that bleeding at any stage of pregnancy should be investigated. “Bleeding in the first trimester could signal a potential miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, the latter being more life-threatening, while in the mid-trimester it can be due to a threatened miscarriage such as due to cervical insufficiency or a STI,” Dr Buchanan explained. In the third and late second trimester, she said bleeding can be due to placenta previa, which is where the placenta is too low in the womb, or placental abruption where the placenta begins to prematurely separate during the pregnancy — a condition which can carry serious complications for the mother and baby.
A sudden feeling of pelvic pressure
“A sudden feeling of pelvic pressure over several hours especially between the third to fifth month of pregnancy may signify cervical insufficiency, which may be accompanied by increased vaginal discharge,” Dr Buchanan warned. She describes cervical insufficiency as the sudden, painless dilatation of the cervix that can lead to a miscarriage. Urgent diagnosis through an ultrasound and surgical placement of a cervical cerclage may be able to prevent foetal loss.
Preeclampsia
Swelling in the lower limbs, face or hand, headache accompanied by blurred vision or flashing lights in the visual field, and vomiting may be a sign of preeclampsia. “This is a condition characterised by high blood pressure and protein in the urine. This occurs most commonly in the third trimester, but may occur as early as 22 of weeks pregnancy,” Dr Buchanan outlined. Once women experience these symptoms, Dr Buchanan said they should seek immediate medical attention.
Excessive vomiting
Vomiting may be not just a tell-tale sign but a common occurrence during pregnancy. Excessive vomiting, however, that leads to weight loss or dehydration, or vomiting with blood should not be ignored.
“In the first trimester of pregnancy this may be a sign of hyperemesis gravidarum — which is a more severe kind of morning sickness. In the latter part of pregnancy vomiting can be normal or can be a sign of preeclampsia or liver disease (rare but fatal) and so you want to seek immediate medical assistance to be in the clear,” Dr Buchanan cautioned.
Abdominal pain
Severe abdominal pain during pregnancy can be a sign of complications associated with the pregnancy, such as placental abruption (when the placenta prematurely separates from the uterus) which requires urgent evaluation and treatment, but Dr Buchanan said it is possible that the culprit may not be directly related to the pregnancy.
“Abdominal pain may also be a sign of non-pregnancy related complications such as appendicitis, inflammation of the gallbladder or inflamed pancreas, hence severe abdominal pain should be evaluated urgently,” Dr Buchanan advised.
