Pregnancy is an exciting time, which is accompanied by a lot of physiological changes and it therefore seems a small wonder that most pregnancies end happily. This is, however, not self-evident because serious problems might arise in a small number of pregnant women. These are commonly known as pregnancy-related disorders and include pregnancy related hypertension (PIH), pre-eclampsia (PE), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preterm labor (premature birth). Many of these disorders affect the health of the mother and the unborn infant at both short and long-term. It’s therefore essential that signs and symptoms are recognized as early as possible, when there might still be possibilities to intervene.

References:

1. Brosens I, et al. The “Great Obstetrical Syndromes” are associated with disorders of deep placentation. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Mar;204(3):193-201 (PMID: 21094932)
2. Sweeting A, et al. The first trimester: prediction and prevention of the great obstetrical syndromes. 2015 Feb;29(2):183-93 (PMID: 25482532)