Pregnancy

High-Risk Pregnancy

For the vast majority of women, pregnancy follows a routine nine-month course, resulting in the birth of a healthy baby. Some women, however, have medical difficulties and experience what is called a "high-risk" pregnancy.

High-risk complications occur in only 6 percent to 8 percent of all pregnancies. But these complications can be serious and require special care to ensure the best possible outcome. Women from across the country and the world come to our Center for Mothers and Newborns for this expertise.

While some problems are unavoidable, our perinatologists — obstetricians with special training in high-risk pregnancy care — work to minimize complications. Our team of doctors, nurses and support staff coordinates all aspects of care from diagnosis to delivery and long-term follow-up.

When necessary, perinatologists collaborate with our world-renowned specialists including anesthesiologists, cardiologists, geneticists and neonatologists, who are pediatricians specializing in the care of sick newborns. Our 50-bed intensive care nursery treats more than 1,000 critically ill infants each year. Our specialists are among the world's most experienced in premature births and in the care of newborns with life-threatening birth defects as well as infants who undergo heart, lung and gastrointestinal surgery.

Our doctors also have special training in treating diabetes in pregnancy, preterm labor, recurrent miscarriages, fetal abnomalities and multiple births.

Advances in technology have helped improve diagnosis and treatment. Our Prenatal Diagnosis Center is one of the few centers nationwide that offers the most advanced screening tests for genetic disorders and birth defects.

Find a Doctor

Pregnancy Education

Our Women's Health Resource Center offers Great Expectations pregnancy classes to help pregnant women and their partners learn about pregnancy, birth including multiple births, breastfeeding and parenting. Sign up for a class online or call (415) 353-2667.

See information about our services for pregnant women and newborns at UCSF Children's Hospital at ValleyCare in Pleasanton.

See a tour of the Birth Center at UCSF Medical Center.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated November 5, 2009