High-Risk Pregnancy Follow-Up

Pregnancy is most often a natural and physiological process; however, in certain situations, risk factors can arise that may threaten the health of the expectant mother or the baby. High-risk pregnancy (the field of interest of Perinatology) is a meticulous follow-up process encompassing both the mother’s pre-existing illnesses and unexpected conditions developing during pregnancy. Prof. Dr. Selçuk Erkılınç manages this delicate process by protecting maternal and fetal health at the highest level, combining surgical experience with clinical expertise in high-risk cases.

What Conditions Does High-Risk Pregnancy Encompass?

There can be many different reasons for a pregnancy to be defined as “high-risk.” These risks can be present before pregnancy or can develop during the course of it.

1. Maternal Risk Factors

Chronic diseases existing before the expectant mother’s pregnancy directly impact the process. Advanced maternal age (35 years and older), diabetes, chronic hypertension, kidney diseases, heart conditions, and autoimmune diseases fall into this group.

2. Pregnancy-Specific Conditions

These are conditions that emerge during pregnancy and may require urgent intervention. Pregnancy toxemia (preeclampsia), gestational diabetes, multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets), and the threat of preterm labor are evaluated within this scope.

3. Fetal Risk Factors

Problems related to the baby’s development must be closely monitored, such as intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), low amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios) or excessive amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios), and certain congenital anomalies.

Close Follow-Up Protocol with Prof. Dr. Selçuk Erkılınç

In high-risk pregnancies, performing more frequent and detailed examinations than the standard check-up intervals is of vital importance.

1. Advanced Ultrasonography and Doppler Examinations

The baby’s health is monitored dynamically by examining fetal organ development, checking the positioning of the placenta (the afterbirth), and measuring umbilical cord blood flow (Doppler).

2. Fetal Well-Being Tests (NST and Biophysical Profile)

The baby’s comfort and oxygenation status inside the womb are evaluated using NST (Non-Stress Test) examinations, which track the baby’s heart rate and movements.

3. Multidisciplinary Approach

Depending on the type of risk, Dr. Erkılınç works in coordination with other specialties such as internal medicine, endocrinology, or cardiology, keeping the mother’s systemic health balanced throughout the pregnancy.

Delivery Planning and Safe Delivery

The timing and method of delivery are the most critical decisions in high-risk pregnancies. Prof. Dr. Selçuk Erkılınç determines the safest moment for delivery by optimizing the baby’s lung development and the mother’s health status. Especially in risky cesarean cases due to prior surgeries or placental positioning disorders that require substantial surgical experience, he offers a safe delivery process with his expertise in complication management.