SSM Maternity Care is a recognized leader in high-risk pregnancy care. High-risk pregnancy occurs when some condition puts the mother, the developing fetus, or both at higher-than-normal risk for complications during or after the pregnancy and birth. According to obstetricians, perhaps the greatest miracle of birth is how incredibly hard it is to actually harm a pregnancy once it is established. However, for 10 to 20 percent of pregnancies — about 875,000 a year in the United States — one or more conditions arise to complicate matters.
Some of the most common high-risk conditions during pregnancy include:
- Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
- Gestational diabetes
- Multiple births
The most serious complications are:
- Congenital anomalies (abnormal)
- Pre-term labor
- Premature rupture of the membranes leading to pre-term birth
- Placental abruption
We offer a unique team approach that weaves the vast medical resources of several premier maternal, fetal and neonatal health care providers. These resources include the Perinatal Care Center at SSM St. Mary’s Health Center, SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, and the neonatologists and maternal-fetal medicine specialists of Saint Louis University School of Medicine. All of these combine to form a strong, secure, supportive safety net of services for even the most complicated pregnancies. This safety net stretches across the hospitals of SSM Health Care–St. Louis, including SSM DePaul Health Center, SSM St. Clare Health Center, SSM St. Joseph Health Center and SSM St. Joseph Hospital West. Scheduling the birth of your child at any of these convenient hospitals near your home ensures the presence of comprehensive SSM Maternity Care services close to you.
