The Maternal Fetal Medicine experts at Long Island College Hospital have
the specialized education and training needed to provide care and consultation
to the mother and the fetus in a complicated pregnancy. A Maternal Fetal
Medicine specialist is an Obstetrician- Gynecologist with three years
of additional training in this field.
Working in partnership with a patient’s health care providers (
MDs and Midwives), the staff of our high-risk obstetrics practice combine
the utilization of the latest technological and diagnostic tools with
their extensive clinical experience to monitor and manage complicated
and difficult pregnancies.
Among the diagnostic services available are:
• Comprehensive ultrasound - assesses fetal health
and investigates structural anomalies.
• Genetic amniocentesis - the analysis of a small
sampling of amniotic fluid (the liquid surrounding the fetus) to detect
genetic or chromosomal disorders. It is generally performed after the
14th week of the pregnancy.
• Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) - testing of
a small sample of cells from the placenta to detect birth defects, genetic
diseases and other problems. It can be performed earlier in pregnancy
(10-12 weeks) and provides quicker results with the same minimal risk
of amniocentesis.
• Nuchal Translucency - a test performed between
the 11th and 14th week of pregnancy that uses ultrasound and a sample
of the mother’s blood to screen for chromosomal disorders.
High-risk situations
While pregnancy and childbirth are normal life events, women with certain
medical conditions are considered at risk and benefit from having a maternal
fetal medicine specialist on their health care team. These conditions
include:
• Heart disease.
• High blood pressure.
• Preeclampsia (toxemia)
• Diabetes or other endocrine disorders.
• Kidney or gastrointestinal disease.
• Infectious diseases.
Healthy women may seek the advice of a high-risk obstetrics specialist
if certain conditions exist, such as:
• Abnormal Alpha Feto-Protein (AFP) blood test results, which may
indicate an open neural tube defect, such as Spina Bifida.
• Twins, triplets or more.
• Recurrent premature births.
• Premature rupture of membranes.
• Recurrent miscarriages.
• Indications that the fetus may not be growing adequately.
For more information about our high-risk obstetrics services, you or your
doctor may call (718) 780-1925.