SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton: One Woman's Journey To Motherhood With Baby No. Three

Press release from SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton:

December 1, 2021

Part 1: High Risk Pregnancy

Last summer, St. Louisan, Niquaja Burns, 38, learned she was expecting her third child, prompting her to make an appointment at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – St. Louis, where she gave birth to her second baby in 2017.

"I had such a great experience at St. Mary’s Hospital with my last baby,” said Burns. "I really bonded with their team, including the OB/GYNs, nurse practitioners and labor and delivery nurses, so it was a no-brainer when it came to his pregnancy.”

Being over 35 years old, Burns also knew she was considered high-risk and needed more specialized care from a team of maternal-fetal medicine experts. That’s exactly what SSM Health provides: comprehensive high-risk pregnancy care and peace of mind.

“I moved to St. Louis 15 years ago to attend Saint Louis University (SLU) for my master’s degree,” said Burns. “I’ve always liked the connection that SSM Health has with both SLUCare and SLU School of Medicine.”

A pregnancy is considered high-risk if the mom has a condition (e.g., advanced maternal age, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, etc.) that increases the risk of complications during or after the pregnancy and birth. High-risk pregnancies have a 25 percent chance of developing complications compared to the 10 percent chance of complications for low-risk pregnancies. Additionally, high-risk pregnancies are particularly concerning in African American women, who account for nearly half of all pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S.

“The risk for pregnancy complications and conditions increases in expectant mothers over the age of 35,” said Amanda McIntyre, WHNP-BC, a lead maternal fetal medicine nurse practitioner at SSM Health Medical Group. “Issues such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, and premature birth are just a few of the complications that can arise. We closely monitor our high-risk patients to help lower these risks.”

As a high-risk maternity patient, Burns regularly visited the maternal-fetal medicine team at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital for prenatal appointments and additional testing. She did develop gestational hypertension (high blood pressure) as well as intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy – a liver disorder that impairs the release of a digestive fluid (bile) from liver cells, affecting liver function.

“During the third trimester, your body makes more of the pregnancy hormones estrogen and progesterone, which can slow the flow of bile out of your liver, causing the condition,” said McIntyre.

Cholestasis of pregnancy also causes severe itchiness in the expectant mother, usually beginning on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet before spreading to other parts of the body.

“It was extremely uncomfortable,” recalled Burns. “I would itch from head to toe, and nothing seemed to provide relief. I took Benadryl and antibiotics, but it never really went away.”

Given her high-risk condition, Burns’ maternal-fetal medicine team recommended she deliver at 37 weeks. Her induction was scheduled for April 19, 2021, at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – St. Louis.

This press release was produced by SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.