Although pregnancy seems like a natural phenomenon there are several health complications associated with it. And some could even be life-threatening post-birth and could be fatal for new mothers. Tennis superstar, Serena Williams who welcomed her daughter Alexis Olympia almost six months ago, once again cited in a piece for CNN Opinion about her pregnancy complication, pulmonary embolism, that almost took her life . These rare complications can occur due to health problems that could be present before pregnancy and that often can arise during pregnancy. These can often be ignored and go unnoticed by many women until it becomes severe. It is therefore advisable to visit your healthcare provider on regular basis for check-ups and monitoring.

Pregnancy Complications a Woman Should be Wary of

Pulmonary Embolism: It is a condition where there is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in your lungs. It is caused by blood cots that travel to the lungs from the legs or other parts of the body. Because the clots block the blood flow to the lungs, pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening. Serena Williams faced the same complication post-pregnancy because of her medical history. She revealed that a side effect of her pulmonary embolism was violent coughing which caused her C-section incision to open. Serena had to endure a surgery after the doctors found a hematoma which is a swelling of clotted blood that had submerged into her abdomen. Doctors placed a filter into a major vein to prevent more clots from migrating to her lungs. The athlete spent the next several weeks recovering.

Anaemia: This is a condition where there is a lack of adequate healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen and nutrients to the tissues in the body. If it occurs during pregnancy it can result in premature birth, low-birth weight and maternal death. There are various types of anaemia, but the most common are iron-deficiency, vitamin B-12 deficiency and folate deficiency. Statistics show that anaemic expectant woman is at a greater risk of death before and even during delivery because of the physical demands of childbirth. It can also result in cardiac failure during labour and result in death.

Preeclampsia and Eclampsia: During pregnancy blood production in the mother is twice the usual amount to provide nourishment to mother and baby. All that extra fluid can result in hypertension or high blood pressure. Preeclampsia is pregnancy induced hypertension. Although it is common it can become life threatening. Genetics and environmental factors are believed to play a role although the exact cause is not known. Symptoms may include nausea, swelling of hands and face, vision problems and stomach pain. If left untreated it can progress to eclampsia which is the onset of seizures or coma. Apart from death other complications include organ failure, bleeding and clotting disorders. It is imperative that expectant women have their blood pressure routinely monitored. It is most common in first-time pregnancies, teenage pregnancies and mums-to-be over the age of 40.

Maternal Sepsis: It is also known as blood poisoning and is caused due to body’s inflammatory reaction to an infection. It can occur due to pregnancy related infections even unrelated ones such as pneumonia, and because of prolonged labour and ruptured membranes. Severe sepsis can lead to septic shock which can cause mental disorders and widespread organ damage. Symptoms include hypothermia, hypotension, jaundice and irregular heartbeat.

A mom-to-be should take all possible precautionary measures to avoid complications. They can vary from mild to severe and sometimes life-threatening like the ones mentioned above. For a healthy pregnancy, a woman should be cautious of symptoms that may seem atypical. In such cases, one should immediately contact their healthcare provider.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 22, 2018 03:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).