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There is no formal or universally accepted definition of a “high-risk” pregnancy. Generally, however, a high-risk pregnancy involves at least one of the following:

• The woman or baby is more likely to become ill or die than usual.
• Complications before or after delivery are more likely to occur than usual.

Certain conditions or characteristics, called risk factors, make a pregnancy high risk. Doctors identify these factors to determine the degree of risk for a particular woman and baby and thus to provide better medical care.

Last full review/revision December 2008 by Christian M. Briery, MD; John Morrison, MD