No concrete guidelines currently exist for distinguishing “high-risk” pregnancies from “low-risk” pregnancies; however, there are certain studied conditions that have been shown to put the mother or fetus at a higher risk of poor outcomes.

[2] In 2012, the CDC estimated that there are approximately 65,000 pregnancies deemed "high-risk" in the United States each year.

[3] Source:[5] Pregnancies may be considered high-risk if the mother has certain pre-existing health conditions.

In these situations, special care must be taken during the pregnancy to address these factors while the fetus is still in the womb to reduce the chances of morbidity and mortality.

[55] In addition, some studies show that a pregnancy labeled "high-risk" may lead to more unnecessary testing than without the label, increasing these fears and reducing the pregnant woman's sense of control over the situation.