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Maternal Fetal Medicine
Maternal Fetal Medicine
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When you’re expecting a child, you want to do all you can to keep your growing baby healthy. Sometimes, however, you or your baby may develop risks or complications that require extra medical care. Whether these challenges happen while you are pregnant, during delivery or right after your baby is born, Mercy is ready to provide expert care.
Our team includes maternal fetal medicine specialists who are specially trained to care for moms and babies in high-risk pregnancies, and neonatologists who specialize in caring for infants born prematurely or with special challenges.
Together, we use advanced technology to assess your baby’s needs and develop a personalized care plan to help you and your baby stay as healthy as possible.
If needed, we’ll continue to care for your newborn in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where our tiniest patients receive expert medical attention and monitoring around the clock -- until they’re well enough to go home.
Our maternal and fetal medicine specialists treat many conditions associated with high-risk pregnancies and fetal illnesses. Our specialists perform several procedures during pregnancy to detect, diagnose or treat many of these conditions and complications, such as:
- Amniocentesis tests for chromosomal abnormalities and some birth defects. The procedure is performed by inserting a needle through the mother’s abdomen into the uterus to collect a sample of the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus
- Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) tests for abnormalities in the chromosomes and some other genetic conditions by taking a sample of the cells from the placenta, either by inserting a needle through the abdomen or cervix
- Nonstress test (NST) or fetal heart rate monitoring tests for expected changes in the fetal heart rate when the baby moves in the uterus
- Ultrasound uses reflected sound waves to produce a picture of the fetus and the placenta and amniotic fluid to get information about the size, development and position of the growing baby
- Intrauterine transfusion is a procedure performed to treat fetal anemia by inserting a needle into the mother’s abdomen and passing red blood cells into the umbilical cord vein or the fetus’ abdomen
Expert Care for Your Newest Family Member
Mercy understands how stressful it can be to know you have a high-risk pregnancy. We’re committed to providing you the best possible care throughout your pregnancy with compassion and loving support , and to your baby after birth.
Related to this Service
At Mercy, we offer comprehensive services to diagnose and treat a full range of conditions, including: