Dedicated to providing comprehensive high-risk pregnancy care, we have been awarded the High Risk Obstetrics Certification from The Joint Commission, one of only a handful of hospitals nationwide to earn the coveted recognition. We currently deliver more babies, including those following complicated pregnancies, than any other facility in the Houston area.
While some mothers are diagnosed with high-risk pregnancies early in their pregnancy, others may develop complications that require attention later in pregnancy. High-risk pregnancies are those complicated by disease or chronic health issues, advanced maternal age, obesity, birth defects, or other conditions including:
- Asthma
- Bleeding disorders, including placenta previa and placental abruption
- Chronic hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Diabetes
- Incompetent or weakened cervix
- Multiple babies
- Placenta accreta
- Post-surgical complications
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension (pre-eclampsia)
- Premature rupture of membranes
- Preterm labor
High-risk pregnancy care
Our high-risk perinatal and antepartum programs provide constant monitoring of mother and baby, allowing the baby time to grow as much as possible in the stable environment of the womb. Our established practices help us identify at-risk patients, offer early education and provide aggressive treatment to try and delay premature delivery.
High-risk pregnancy specialists
Our team at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas has cared for high-risk mothers and their babies for many years. You and your baby will be cared for by our comprehensive multidisciplinary medical teams, and our highly skilled and experienced specialists who are committed to achieving the best possible outcome for you and your baby.
Mothers facing the possibility that their pregnancy is likely to develop complications consult with our maternal-fetal medicine specialists. These OB/GYN physicians are high-risk pregnancy experts who care for women with existing health conditions, multiple gestation, complications from previous pregnancies, and fetal health problems. In addition, all high-risk deliveries are attended by a board-certified neonatologist and neonatal nurse practitioners who are on-site 24/7.
Perinatal navigator program
This program was developed to meet the special needs of families that have been identified as high-risk either because of a mom issue or fetal issue to coordinate specialist appointments and provide support for high-risk conditions. Patients are cared for by our comprehensive, multidisciplinary team committed to achieving the best possible outcome for them and their babies.
Obstetrics emergency department (OBED)
Our OBED is a specially designed area that provides timely and efficient emergency care to moms-to-be with unscheduled medical needs. Our nursing specialists work with each patient and her physician to manage specific conditions, such as the onset of labor, obstetrical and gynecologic conditions, and surgical emergencies. If necessary, the OBED can provide the patient with direct admission to the hospital’s labor and delivery unit.
Services for high-risk pregnancies
Our Level IV NICU allows us to offer the highest level of care available for high-risk infants who are premature, critically ill, or have a life-threatening health condition. Our team of highly specialized and experienced staff cares for babies, including an in-house, board-certified neonatologist and neonatal nurse practitioners who are on-site 24/7.
Our antepartum unit (APU) is designed to care for high-risk patients before delivery. Perinatologists and antepartum nurses manage these high-risk pregnancies toward optimal outcomes. This unit provides mothers on bed rest a second home, complete with the additional support they and their vulnerable babies need.
The Woman’s Hospital of Texas is nationally recognized by the American Diabetes Association for quality self-management diabetes education and support. Our Perinatal Diabetes Center offers a variety of classes taught by certified diabetes educators, nurses and registered dietitians who are specifically designed to meet the needs of women with diabetes before, during and after pregnancy.
We provide 24/7 emergency transport care for mothers who have high-risk pregnancies or mothers who develop unforeseen complications. Our maternal transport team will bring you directly to The Woman’s Hospital of Texas with all the medical support you need, including a critical-care paramedic and an experienced labor and delivery nurse. From small towns located nearby to communities a few hundred miles away, our helicopter travels within a 150-mile radius of The Woman's Hospital of Texas, our airplane within 250 miles, and our ambulance within or beyond the limitations of our aircraft.
Homecare services, such as postpartum visits and homecare for high-risk pregnancies are available from several providers if your doctor determines this is necessary for you. Our social work team will help you locate community resources you need whether you are in the hospital or have returned home.