Perinatal Center

The Perinatal Center provides personalized services and support for women diagnosed with high-risk pregnancies.

The Perinatal Center is a prenatal diagnostic facility established to provide services for patients with maternal or fetal complications. Our staff provides personalized attention in a patient-friendly setting. Working closely with your primary Obstetric provider, our highly-skilled specialists offer comprehensive obstetrical ultrasound examinations, consultations in prenatal diagnosis, amniocentesis and antepartum testing.

Our team consists of a Perinatologist (a physician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies) and an experienced Labor & Delivery nurse. They work closely with the patient’s primary obstetric provider to develop individualized care management plans that fit mom’s health history and needs.

A pregnancy may be considered high-risk for various reasons, including:

• Advanced maternal age
• Medical History
• Underlying conditions (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure)
• Multiple pregnancies

Why do I need special fetal testing?

Special testing allows your doctor or midwife to monitor your pregnancy more closely. It’s done in a wide variety of situations – any time the medical team wants more information. Your doctor or midwife will explain why testing is recommended for you. Fetal testing is commonly done in situations such as these:

• If you have chronic medical conditions such as diabetes
• If you have a pregnancy-related condition such as preeclampsia
• If you had a problem in an earlier pregnancy. A previous preterm birth or a stillbirth may also warrant additional fetal testing.
• When signs or other tests findings raise questions. For example, your baby may be moving less than normal, or may seem to smaller than expected. A previous ultrasound may have shown that your baby has an abnormality or that there is too much or too little fluid inside the amniotic sac.
• If you are pregnancy with more than one baby. Multiple gestation pregnancies have a higher chance of problems than other pregnancies.
• If your pregnancy has lasted longer than 40 weeks. Multiple gestation pregnancies have a higher chance of problems than other pregnancies.
• If the sac around the fetus has ruptured (premature rupture of membranes, or PPROM). PPROM carries risks to the fetus and testing can help detect a problem.

What do the tests tell us?

Different tests give different information. Generally, these tests give information about your baby’s health, which is then used to guide decisions about your care and the baby’s delivery. Note that unlike other ultrasound tests, these tests are not used to diagnose abnormalities.

When the tests suggest that the baby is going well, the findings are called “reassuring.” Reassuring findings are common, and they usually mean that your care and pregnancy can continue as before. At other times, the testing can suggest that your care should change or your baby should be delivered. Occasionally, further testing is recommended.

The medical staff doing the testing will share any findings with you and your doctor or midwife.