Public and Community Health Project
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Dalila Rhymer
November 6, 2002
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Dr. Lewis
High Risk Pregnancy
High-risk is defined as being particularly subject to potential danger or hazard. High-risk pregnancy is any pregnancy in which the mother’s medical background includes diseases such as diabetes, sickle cell anemia, high blood pressure, or other serious medical conditions or in which the unborn baby shows signs of too little growth or other problems. Multiple fetus pregnancies are also considered high-risk. A pregnancy is also considered high-risk when prenatal tests indicate that the baby has a serious health problem (for example, a heart defect). In such cases, the mother will need special tests, and possibly medication, to carry the baby safely through to delivery. Complications caused by pregnancy itself, such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes can also turn a normal pregnancy into a high-risk pregnancy. There are many organizations and services that help women with high-risk pregnancies. In this paper I will discuss three programs located in Leon County.
The Children's Medical Services (CMS) program provides children with special health care needs with a family centered, managed system of care. Children with special health care needs are those children under age 21 whose serious or chronic physical or developmental conditions require extensive preventive and maintenance care beyond that required by typically healthy children. Most services are provided at or coordinated through CMS offices in local communities throughout the state. When necessary, children are referred to CMS affiliated medical centers. These centers provide many specialty programs with follow-up care provided at local CMS offices. CMS has many programs that apply to children of all ages; one in particular deals with high-risk pregnancy. The Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Centers Program (RPICC) major goal is to deliver optimal medical care to...