Pregnancy Complications Gain Attention after Abortion Ruling
2022-08-29
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1Serious medical problems connected with pregnancy are rare in the United States.
2But they still affect thousands of women each year.
3Problems with a pregnancy can threaten the health of the mother, fetus, or both.
4These problems, called pregnancy complications, are more common in Black mothers.
5The complications may be among the reasons a higher percentage of Black women die from childbirth compared with women of other ethnic groups.
6Severe problems may force patients and their doctors to consider an operation to end the pregnancy, or an abortion.
7In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states, not the federal government, should pass laws on the issue of abortion.
8States with abortion restrictions give special permission for an abortion if the mother develops a condition that is severe or threatens the mother's life.
9But it can be difficult for doctors to know if a condition is severe or puts the mother's life in danger.
10Some doctors have told the Associated Press (AP) that they believe new abortion limits force them to let patients' health complications worsen.
11Here are some of the most common pregnancy complications that could lead a doctor to recommend abortion as treatment.
12Preeclampsia is high blood pressure that can develop suddenly in pregnancy.
13It usually happens during the second half of the pregnancy.
14The condition develops in about one in 25 pregnancies.
15Symptoms include swollen arms and legs, headaches and blurred vision.
16In addition to high blood pressure, patients can develop kidney or other problems.
17Treatment may include hospitalization and medicines to lower blood pressure and support the development of the fetus's lungs.
18Ending the pregnancy by inducing birth or with an abortion may be recommended when the mother's life is in danger.
19An early rupture of membranes is another pregnancy complication.
20Membranes in the sac that surrounds the fetus sometimes break at the start of childbirth.
21In at least three percent of pregnancies, the sac breaks too early.
22Such breaks often lead to birth before the expected date.
23The condition increases the chances of infection of the uterus.
24If the sac breaks before 24 weeks, doctors may recommend ending the pregnancy.
25This is because infant survival chances are very low before 24 weeks.
26Instead of abortion, doctors could monitor the patients and closely watch for signs of infection.
27This increases the risk of severe maternal complications.
28Recent studies suggest that the chances of a successful birth are reduced.
29A third possible complication is ectopic pregnancy.
30Ectopic pregnancies are when a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, often in a fallopian tube.
31It happens in about 2 percent of U.S. pregnancies.
32There is no chance for the embryo to survive.
33It can cause the tube to burst, leading to dangerous internal bleeding.
34Treatment for less severe cases may include chemicals that stop the embryo from growing and end the pregnancy.
35In other cases, surgery is required, sometimes to remove the affected tube.
36Doctors emphasize that treatment for ectopic pregnancies is not the same as an abortion.
37Some politicians who are against abortions have suggested that ectopic pregnancies could be put back in the uterus.
38They have commented on two unproven case reports from medical publications released many years apart.
39Some experts say an attempt of this kind would damage the embryo and could not result in a successful pregnancy.
40The placenta is another kind of pregnancy complication.
41The placenta is a crucial structure that develops in pregnancy and attaches to the uterine wall.
42It is connected to the umbilical cord and helps feed the fetus.
43In about 1 in 100 pregnancies, the placenta separates too early from the womb.
44This can happen after about 20 weeks of pregnancy.
45The condition can present a life-threatening risk to the fetus and can cause dangerous bleeding in the mother.
46Inducing childbirth or ending the pregnancy may be recommended.
47I'm Caty Weaver.
1Serious medical problems connected with pregnancy are rare in the United States. But they still affect thousands of women each year. 2Problems with a pregnancy can threaten the health of the mother, fetus, or both. These problems, called pregnancy complications, are more common in Black mothers. The complications may be among the reasons a higher percentage of Black women die from childbirth compared with women of other ethnic groups. 3Severe problems may force patients and their doctors to consider an operation to end the pregnancy, or an abortion. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states, not the federal government, should pass laws on the issue of abortion. 4States with abortion restrictions give special permission for an abortion if the mother develops a condition that is severe or threatens the mother's life. But it can be difficult for doctors to know if a condition is severe or puts the mother's life in danger. 5Some doctors have told the Associated Press (AP) that they believe new abortion limits force them to let patients' health complications worsen. 6Here are some of the most common pregnancy complications that could lead a doctor to recommend abortion as treatment. 7Preeclampsia 8Preeclampsia is high blood pressure that can develop suddenly in pregnancy. It usually happens during the second half of the pregnancy. 9The condition develops in about one in 25 pregnancies. Symptoms include swollen arms and legs, headaches and blurred vision. 10In addition to high blood pressure, patients can develop kidney or other problems. 11Treatment may include hospitalization and medicines to lower blood pressure and support the development of the fetus's lungs. Ending the pregnancy by inducing birth or with an abortion may be recommended when the mother's life is in danger. 12Early rupture of membranes 13An early rupture of membranes is another pregnancy complication. Membranes in the sac that surrounds the fetus sometimes break at the start of childbirth. In at least three percent of pregnancies, the sac breaks too early. Such breaks often lead to birth before the expected date. 14The condition increases the chances of infection of the uterus. If the sac breaks before 24 weeks, doctors may recommend ending the pregnancy. This is because infant survival chances are very low before 24 weeks. 15Instead of abortion, doctors could monitor the patients and closely watch for signs of infection. This increases the risk of severe maternal complications. Recent studies suggest that the chances of a successful birth are reduced. 16Ectopic pregnancies 17A third possible complication is ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies are when a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, often in a fallopian tube. It happens in about 2 percent of U.S. pregnancies. 18There is no chance for the embryo to survive. It can cause the tube to burst, leading to dangerous internal bleeding. 19Treatment for less severe cases may include chemicals that stop the embryo from growing and end the pregnancy. In other cases, surgery is required, sometimes to remove the affected tube. 20Doctors emphasize that treatment for ectopic pregnancies is not the same as an abortion. 21Some politicians who are against abortions have suggested that ectopic pregnancies could be put back in the uterus. They have commented on two unproven case reports from medical publications released many years apart. Some experts say an attempt of this kind would damage the embryo and could not result in a successful pregnancy. 22Placenta abruption 23The placenta is another kind of pregnancy complication. The placenta is a crucial structure that develops in pregnancy and attaches to the uterine wall. It is connected to the umbilical cord and helps feed the fetus. 24In about 1 in 100 pregnancies, the placenta separates too early from the womb. This can happen after about 20 weeks of pregnancy. The condition can present a life-threatening risk to the fetus and can cause dangerous bleeding in the mother. 25Inducing childbirth or ending the pregnancy may be recommended. 26I'm Caty Weaver. 27Lindsey Tanner reported this story for the Associated Press. Andrew Smith adapted it for VOA Learning English. 28_____________________________________________________________________ 29Words in This Story 30symptoms -n. physical changes caused by disease, infection, or other medical problems 31swollen -adj. Enlarged beyond normal size, often due to an excess of fluid (such as a swollen ankle due to injury). 32blurred -adj. not in sharp focus 33induce -v. to cause or produce 34membrane -n. thin tissue that covers or connects a part of a human or animal body. 35sac -n. a part inside the body of an animal or plant that is shaped like a container such as a bag 36uterus -n. the organ in the female body where a fetus develops 37fallopian tube -n. a tube connecting the ovaries to the uterus 38emphasize -v.; to show or state the importance of; to bring more attention to 39crucial -adj. necessary and very important 40womb -n. the uterus 41_____________________________________________________________________ 42We want to hear from you. 43We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 44Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.