Diagnosing & Treating Maternal Conditions

A maternal condition is any disease or disorder in a pregnant woman that may affect the pregnancy or unborn baby. 

The obstetrics experts at Dignity Health do everything we can to keep mothers healthy from preconception to postpartum care. If you have or are at risk for a maternal condition in the Bay Area, we want to help. Find a Doctor at Dominican Hospital or Sequoia Hospital today for personal care.

Common Maternal Health Conditions

At Dignity Health, we treat a range of material conditions, including: 

• Mullerian abnormalities, issues with the uterus and vagina that can cause problems with conception and pregnancy
• Cervical incompetence, when the cervix opens before the end of pregnancy
• Isoimmunization, a condition caused by blood type differences in the mother and baby — if an Rh-negative mother is pregnant with an Rh-positive baby
• Multiple gestation, pregnancy with more than one baby, such as twins, triplets, or quadruplets
• Preeclampsia, dangerous high blood pressure during pregnancy
• Gestational diabetes, high blood sugar during pregnancy
• Premature rupture of membranes, when a woman’s water breaks before the end of pregnancy and releases amniotic fluid from the sac that protects the baby
• Postpartum depression, feeling sad or anxious after childbirth

Causes of Mullerian Abnormalities & Other Maternal Conditions

Maternal conditions can be caused by a variety of factors, including infection, injury, and genetics. Often, doctors aren’t sure why a woman develops a certain condition.

Some maternal conditions, such as Mullerian abnormalities, are congenital (present since birth).

Caring for Maternal Conditions at Dignity Health

Regular checkups and care during pregnancy can help prevent some material conditions. However, sometimes maternal conditions can occur even though you and your doctor have done everything you can to prevent them. At Dignity Health, our maternal fetal medicine specialists are trained in the diagnosis of both maternal and fetal conditions.

At each pregnancy care visit, your doctor checks your health and monitors your baby’s health and development. Most maternal conditions can be identified before birth, helping to reduce serious complications and increase you and your baby’s likelihood of a healthy pregnancy and birth.

Rely on Dignity Health to help you stay on top of your health during pregnancy to avoid maternal conditions in the Bay Area.