A Shadow Over Your Pregnancy: How Preexisting Health Conditions can

A Shadow Over Your Pregnancy: How Preexisting Health Conditions can Affect You and Your Baby

One of the most important things for a woman to ensure while she is pregnant is that she remains healthy throughout the the nine-month period. This is because anything that affects the mother will affect the baby in her womb. With that into consideration, women should be aware that any preexisting condition they might have and/or the medications that they are taking can have a profound effect on their pregnancy and their baby. In some cases, this may increase the risk of babies being born with birth weight problems (either overweight or underweight), developmental problems, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, pre-eclampsia, congenital heart block, or deformities. It may even be the cause of death for both mother and child.

Among the preexisting medical conditions that pose a significant health risk for women during pregnancy are anemia, asthma, arthritis, sexually transmitted diseases, heart conditions, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), thyroid disorders, kidney diseases, liver diseases, infections, diabetes, hypertension, eating disorders, epilepsy, human...