Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Maternal-Fetal Medicine Services

Our physicians diagnose and treat all maternal medical and surgical complications, including: 

• Advanced maternal age
• Antiphospholipid syndrome
• Cardiovascular and hypertensive disorders
• Connective tissue diseases
• Diabetes mellitus
• Infectious diseases
• Neurological disorders
• Obesity and pregnancy
• Pre-eclampsia or eclampsia
• Telemedicine
• Thromboembolism
• Thyroid and other endocrine disorders

Maternal-Fetal Medicine Areas of Expertise

• Abnormal triple screen
• Abruptio placenta
• Amniotic fluid embolism
• Fetal growth restriction
• Multi-fetal gestations
• Placenta previa
• Preterm labor
• Preterm premature rupture of membranes
• Recurrent pregnancy losses

Fetal Evaluation & Testing/Genetic Services

Many women benefit from referral to SLUCare's Fetal Evaluation and Testing/Genetic Services. You may be a candidate if you or your partner have any of the following:

• Maternal age of 35 or older at delivery
• Previous child with a chromosome abnormality
• Previous child with a structural birth defect
• Family history of neural tube defects or other birth defects
• Increased risk for a chromosome abnormality after an ultrasound or maternal serum screen (such as a quad or sequential screen)
• Abnormality or suspected abnormality on ultrasound
• Recurrent unexplained pregnancy loss
• Family history of genetic or metabolic disease

All patients referred to SLUCare Physician Group perinatal care will receive a comprehensive evaluation tailored specifically to their needs. Many women will be offered genetic counseling. This 30 to 60-minute consultation includes a review of the pregnancy and family history, the specific risk factors for your pregnancy, the options available to you for further testing and the risks, benefits and limitations of the tests offered.

We communicate test results to you and your doctor, and when those results are concerning, we will answer all of your questions and help coordinate further follow-up as needed.

We Are Here to Help

Our team of maternal-fetal medicine specialists, geneticists, genetic counselors and experienced sonographers are able to explain and perform the full spectrum of prenatal genetic screening and diagnostic tests including:

• Comprehensive ultrasound
  • Full range of sonographic services, including fetal echocardiography and color Doppler blood flow evaluation
• Screening for chromosome abnormalities
  • Nuchal translucency assessment, first and second trimester screening, non-invasive prenatal testing using cell-free fetal DNA (NIPT)
• Amniocentesis
  • Performed at 15- to 20-weeks' gestation to detect chromosomal abnormalities, open neural tube defects or single-gene disorders, where indicated
• Chorionic villus sampling
  • Performed at 10- to 14-weeks' gestation to detect chromosomal abnormalities and single- gene disorders
• Funicentesis/PUBS
  • Fetal cord blood sampling for the diagnosis and management of a variety of fetal diseases such as anemia, thrombocytopenia and infections