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| Risk Factors and Symptoms of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease |
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When reading about risk factors for gestational trophoblastic disease, it’s imperative to keep in mind that having one or more risk factors doesn’t mean you will develop the disease.
Risk factors for GTD may include:
- Age: The risk of complete molar pregnancy is highest in women over age 40 and younger than 20. Age is less a factor for partial moles. Since gestational trophoblastic tumors result from an abnormal pregnancy, all women of childbearing age are at some risk for the disease.
- Previous molar pregnancy: Once a woman has had a hydatidiform mole, there is about a 1 in 60 chance that she will have another one. However, 98% of subsequent pregnancies will be normal.
- Pregnancy history: Women with no previous pregnancies may be at slightly higher risk
- Blood type: Women with blood type A or AB are at slightly higher risk than those with B or O
- Oral contraceptives: Women taking birth control pills may be at slightly higher risk
- Sexual history: Women who have had more than 10 sexual partners may have increased risk
Symptoms
Early symptoms of GTD can be hard to determine because some of them mimic normal pregnancy symptoms.The most common symptom is vaginal bleeding, and you should alert your physician immediately if this occurs. Other symptoms can include:
- Excessive abdominal swelling during pregnancy
- Abdominal pain
- Anemia
- Preeclampsia or toxemia
- Hyperthyroidism (overactivity of the thyroid gland)
Read more about Gestational Trophoblastic Disease
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(866) 773-2703 |