High-risk pregnancies on the rise, says Perinatal expert

High-risk pregnancies are on the rise in Kerala due to various reasons including obesity, diabetics and stress, noted perinatologist Vidyalekshmy said here today.
For most women, early and regular prenatal care promotes a healthy pregnancy and delivery without complications, she said.
"High-risk pregnancy cases are increasing world over and in Kerala it is close to 10 per cent of the total number of cases," she told reporters during an interaction at KIMS hospital here.
The number of high risk pregnancies have increased over the years where there is an increased risk to the mother's health or baby's safe outcome, the expert said.

KIMS hospital started the Department of Perinatal Medicine (High Risk Pregnancy and Fetal Medicine) in 2009 under the leadership of Vidyalekshmy.
Gestational diabetes, hyper tension, multiple pregnancies, poor fetal growth, labour before expected date and many others are some of the reasons contributing to the high risk pregnancies, she said.

Pre-existing medical disorders of women are now no more a taboo to get married and getting pregnant, she added.
Multidisciplinary approach in KIMS has helped 5,000 high risk mothers to deliever healthy babies in the last eight years, Founder Chairman & Managing Director of KIMS, M I Sahadulla said.
Later, 'Sparsham,' a get-together of high risk mothers and babies, was organised at the hospital to mark the eight years of delivering high risk pregnancies and fetal care.

Travancore royal family member Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bhai inaugurated the event, jointly organised by the Perinatal Medicine Department along with Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of KIMS.