Potential Problem: Urinary tract infection (if left untreated, can travel to kidneys, which can cause premature, or early, labor).
Diagnosis: Urine test.
Treatment: Antibiotics, usually 3 to 7 day course of amoxicillin, nitrofurantoin, or cephalosporin.
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Symptoms: Painless vaginal bleeding during the second or third trimester. In many cases, no symptoms.
Potential Problem: Placenta previa (the placenta, or the temporary organ joining the mother and fetus, covers part or all of the cervix and can cause severe bleeding usually toward the end of the second trimester or later).
Diagnosis: An ultrasound exam.
Treatment: If diagnosed after the 20th week of pregnancy, but with no bleeding, requires to cut back on activity level and increase bed rest. If bleeding is heavy, requires hospitalization until mother and baby are stable. If the bleeding stops or is light, requires continued bed rest until baby is ready for delivery. If bleeding doesn't stop or if pre-term labor starts, baby will be delivered by cesarean.
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Symptoms: Vaginal bleeding during the second half of pregnancy; cramping, abdominal pain, and uterine tenderness.
Potential Problem: Placental abruption (a condition in which the placenta separates from the uterine wall before delivery, depriving the fetus of oxygen).
Diagnosis: An ultrasound exam.
Treatment: When the separation is minor, bed rest for a few days usually stops the bleeding. Moderate cases may require complete bed rest. Severe cases (when more than half of the placenta separates) can require immediate medical attention and delivery of the baby.
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Symptoms: Fetus stops moving around and kicking. If, after 26 weeks of pregnancy, you count fewer than 10 kicks in a day, or if the baby is moving a lot less than usual, see your health care provider right away.
Potential Problem: Baby possibly in distress, potential risk of stillbirth.
Diagnosis: A nonstress test (NST) which measures the response of the baby's heart rate to each movement the baby makes as reported by mother or seen by a health care provider on an ultrasound screen; contraction stress test is usually ordered if the nonstress test shows a problem - stimulates the uterus to contract with the drug pitocin to look at the effect of contractions on the baby's heart rate; biophysical profile (BPP) (a combination of the NST and an exam of the baby's breathing, body movement, muscle tone, and amount of amniotic fluid).
Treatment: Treatment depends on results of tests. If a test suggests a problem, this does not always mean the baby is in trouble. It may only mean that the mother needs special care until the baby is delivered. This can include a wide variety of things (such as bed rest and further monitoring) depending on the mother's condition.
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Symptoms: High blood pressure -- usually around 140/90; protein in the urine; swelling of the hands and face; sudden weight gain -- 1 pound a day or more; blurred vision; severe headaches, dizziness; intense stomach pain
Potential Problem: Pregnancy-related high blood pressure (pre?eclampsia, also called toxemia). Usually occurs after about 30 weeks of pregnancy.
Diagnosis: Blood pressure test; urine test; evaluation by a health care provider.
Treatment: The only cure is delivery, which may not be best for the baby. Labor will probably be induced if condition is mild and woman is near term (37 to 40 weeks of pregnancy). If a woman is not yet ready for labor, her provider may monitor her and her baby closely. May require bed rest at home or in hospital, until blood pressure stabilizes or until delivery.
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Symptoms: Contractions, either painful or painless, anytime during pregnancy, that occur more than four times an hour, or are less than 15 minutes apart; menstrual like cramps that come and go; abdominal cramps with or without diarrhea; dull backache that may radiate around to the abdomen; increase in or change in color in vaginal discharge; constant or intermittent pelvic pressure
Potential Problem: Early or pre-term labor (labor occurring after 20 weeks, but before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy).
Diagnosis:Monitoring of uterine contractions by wearing an elastic belt around waist that holds a transducer or small pressure-sensitive recorder. Can be worn at the health care provider's office, hospital, or home.
Treatment:Lie down with feet elevated; drink 2 or 3 glasses of water or juice. If symptoms do not subside within one hour, contact health care provider. May require medications called tocolytics or magnesium sulfate to stop contractions.
