Problems in pregnancy

Sadly, some pregnancies end early, others develop problems along the way that result in medical complications for both mum and baby.

At Tommy’s, we believe that, through our research, we can discover how to prevent the loss of tiny lives. We also want to find out how to protect premature babies from health problems and increase their chance of survival.

We understand the importance of providing parents with open and honest advice based on fact, which can help to understand what has happened, the possible reasons for it and how to prevent it happening again.

If you have, or someone you know has, suffered the loss of a baby due to a pregnancy complication, you can find additional information, support, and guidance in our In Memory section.

Miscarriage and stillbirth

The death of a baby at any stage in pregnancy is difficult for everyone involved. It’s natural to ask, ‘Why us?’ Regrettably it’s not always possible to give an accurate answer.

Find out more about miscarriage and stillbirth. 

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Premature birth

Premature birth can be a stressful experience for all involved and, in some cases, very premature babies may not survive or may go on to have long-term health problems.

Find out more about premature birth.

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Pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is thought to affect one in twenty of all pregnancies. In most of these cases, it will be a mild case and may have no effect on pregnancy. Approximately one in two hundred women will go on to develop severe pre-eclampsia.

Find out more about pre-eclampsia. 

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Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection. Normally, this infection does not have symptoms and, in fact, a large percentage of people will never know they have been infected by the toxoplasmosis parasite. However, if you are pregnant and become infected, toxoplasmosis may have serious effects on your baby’s development.

Find out more about toxoplasmosis.

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Molar pregnancy

A molar pregnancy is a very rare complication of pregnancy. It occurs when something goes wrong during the fertilisation process. It is caused by an abnormal cell growth of all or part of the placenta.

Find out more about molar pregnancies.

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Ectopic pregnancy

An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilised egg implants itself somewhere other than the wall of the uterus.

Find out more about ectopic pregnancies.

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Sources

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2007) 'Treating and preventing eclampsia - new figures released' in BJOG at http://www.rcog.org.uk/news/treating-and-preventing-eclampsia-new-figures-released

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (2007) Pre-eclampsia: what you need to know, http://www.rcog.org.uk/womens-health/clinical-guidance/pre-eclampsia-what-you-need-know It can also cause miscarriage or stillbirth.

In this section

Miscarriage
Stillbirth
Premature birth
Pre-eclampsia
Toxoplasmosis
Molar pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy
Visit our In Memory section
Mental health problems