High-Risk Pregnancy
The maternal-fetal medicine specialists at the Perinatal Center at UM St. Joseph Medical Center provide comprehensive, compassionate care for women who are experiencing a high-risk pregnancy.
Working with you and your OBGYN specialist, we manage a variety of conditions that can put you and your baby at higher risk for pregnancy and childbirth complications.
These conditions may include:
- Advanced maternal age
- Breech presentation
- Chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease
- Genetic disorders
- Premature labor
- Twins and multiple births
Our team of board-certified maternal-fetal medicine physicians works with registered sonographers, genetic counselors and nursing staff to help expectant moms safely manage their high-risk pregnancies. They provide support, information and advanced care at every stage of pregnancy.
When the time comes to deliver your baby at UM St. Joseph, you can be assured that we are ready for virtually every possibility: our delivery and operating rooms are equipped with the advanced technology you may need and we have an on-site level IIIB neonatal intensive care unit at the ready for your baby's immediate needs.
Our team is here to ensure your childbirth experience is as safe as possible while, whenever possible, doing what they can to respect your care preferences.
Before Pregnancy
While many women don't know they are at risk for complications until after they become pregnant, potential problems or health risks can often be addressed prior to conception.
Our high-risk obstetricians offer counsel and create a personalized health plan for women who have:
- A history of pregnancy loss
- A history of preterm labor and/or delivery
- Chronic medical conditions (diabetes, thyroid disease, connective tissue disorders, high blood pressure and heart disease and more)
- Family or personal history of genetic disorders
- Advanced maternal age
During a High-Risk Pregnancy
Our maternal-fetal specialists provide personalized consultation and ongoing care management throughout every stage of high-risk pregnancies.
Twins and Multiples
On-site perinatology, ultrasound and fetal monitoring help us take advanced, comprehensive care of women who are carrying more than one baby.
Our goal is to help these mothers-to-be plan for delivery as close to their due date as possible. We have extensive experience in the delivery of twins, triplets and quadruplets.
- Read about the Anderson family's experience at UM SJMC: Twins! A Patient Story
Prenatal Testing
The Perinatal Center offers testing for fetal well-being in a private and comfortable care setting.
Prenatal testing includes:
- Non-stress tests
- Biophysical profiles
- NT screening (or nuchal translucency screening), a specialized type of ultrasound
- Amniotic fluid measurement
Ultrasound Technology
The Perinatal Center, one of Baltimore's first to be accredited by The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, upholds the highest standards for practicing ultrasound, using the latest imaging technology, with 3D and 4D imaging.
Our sonographers, who are registered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Sonography, complete anatomy and growth assessment scans of your baby throughout your pregnancy.
An on-site maternal-fetal medicine specialist reviews every study and is available to report immediate results. They develop a plan so you and your baby — or babies — receive the most appropriate treatment during every phase of pregnancy and throughout childbirth.
Fetal Diagnosis
When indicated, fetal diagnosis is available, including chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis.
For babies with potential heart conditions, we offer fetal echocardiography studies, also known as a "fetal echo."
Patients may be referred by their attending obstetrician or midwife for a fetal echo for many reasons, such as maternal diabetes or a family history of congenital heart defects.
Genetic Counseling
Prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling are provided in a supportive manner for families at risk for fetal abnormalities or hereditary disorders, due to such conditions as:
- Advanced maternal age
- Abnormal first- or second-trimester screening results
- Anomalies detected by ultrasound
- Infections or viruses
- Family or personal history of genetic disorders
- Exposure to something that could cause developmental problems, such as medications or environmental toxins and more
Patient Education Resource
For more information on high-risk pregnancies, please visit the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's High-Risk Pregnancy website.
