UAE hospitals offer precision care for high-risk pregnancies
Advanced monitoring and multidisciplinary care are helping improve outcomes
Every pregnancy is unique, and for some women, it may require closer monitoring and specialised support. Conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, autoimmune disorders, advanced maternal age, and multiple pregnancies can increase risks for both mother and baby, making timely maternal care especially important.
From conception and routine antenatal visits to delivery and postpartum recovery, maternal care helps ensure that potential concerns are identified and managed early. As high-risk pregnancies become increasingly complex, UAE hospitals are supporting expectant mothers at every stage through advanced diagnostics, fetal monitoring, and multidisciplinary care. Obstetricians, fetal medicine specialists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, nutritionists, and neonatal experts often work together to create care plans tailored to each pregnancy.
Why more pregnancies now require specialised care
Specialists say today’s high-risk pregnancies often involve multiple overlapping medical conditions rather than a single risk factor.
“The face of high-risk pregnancy is changing rapidly,” says Dr Sejal Devendra Surti, Specialist Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Aster Hospital, Mankhool.
She explains that increasing maternal age, rising rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune disorders, and the growing use of assisted reproductive technologies have contributed to a larger number of pregnancies requiring specialised care.
At the same time, advances in medicine now enable many women with complex medical conditions to pursue motherhood safely.
Dr Ghada Shate, Specialist Obstetrics and Gynaecology, HealthHub – Arabian Center, echoes this trend, highlighting, “Today, we are seeing more women with overlapping risk factors rather than a single condition, which requires closer, continuous monitoring throughout pregnancy.”
One significant contributor is delayed motherhood. According to Dr Amal Hassan Abddelaziz, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist (HOD), Thumbay University Hospital, pregnancies among women aged 35 and above are becoming increasingly common.
“While many have healthy pregnancies, advanced maternal age is associated with a higher risk of fertility issues, miscarriage, chromosomal abnormalities, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and delivery-related complications,” says Dr Abddelaziz.
She emphasises that many of these risks can be reduced through preconception counselling, managing existing medical conditions, maintaining a healthy weight, taking folic acid supplements, and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
“Regular antenatal check-ups and appropriate screening tests during pregnancy are essential to ensure the health and well-being of both mother and baby,” Dr Abddelaziz suggests.
Earlier diagnosis is critical
Although the complexity of high-risk pregnancies has increased, maternal-fetal medicine has advanced significantly, allowing doctors to detect potential concerns earlier and intervene more effectively.
“Advances in early screening, ultrasound technology, and non-invasive prenatal testing now allow us to detect risks earlier and manage them more effectively,” says Dr Shate.
Dr Surti from Aster Hospital, Mankhool, says that modern prenatal screening techniques, including non-invasive genetic testing and high-resolution ultrasound, now enable earlier detection of potential complications.
“Enhanced fetal surveillance and maternal monitoring technologies provide clinicians with valuable information throughout pregnancy,” she says.
According to Dr Rekha Patidar, Consultant Obstetrics & Gynecology, Zulekha Hospital, Dubai, newer technologies are transforming both diagnosis and day-to-day pregnancy management. High-resolution ultrasound imaging, fetal echocardiography and Doppler studies help clinicians identify fetal concerns earlier and intervene when necessary.
She also highlights the growing role of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), which analyses fetal DNA from a maternal blood sample to accurately screen for certain chromosomal abnormalities without the risks associated with invasive procedures.
“Earlier detection allows families and healthcare teams more time to prepare and make informed decisions. Meanwhile, remote monitoring enables pregnant women to manage conditions such as hypertension and diabetes from home,” Dr Patidar says.
Multidisciplinary care for high-risk pregnancies
Technology alone is not enough. Specialists agree that one of the biggest advances in managing high-risk pregnancies is the move towards coordinated, multidisciplinary care.
“Equally important is multidisciplinary care, where obstetricians work closely with other specialists to ensure safe outcomes for both mother and baby,” says Dr Shate.
Early risk identification, personalised treatment plans, and coordinated multidisciplinary care are significantly improving outcomes in high-risk pregnancies, says Dr Patidar.
Dr Surti explains that obstetricians now routinely collaborate with maternal-fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists, anaesthesiologists, cardiologists, endocrinologists and other experts to develop individualised care plans for high-risk patients.
“Specialised clinics and evidence-based preventive strategies have further strengthened pregnancy care. As a result, many complications that once posed substantial risks can now be identified and managed earlier and more effectively,” she says. ■
