What is maternal-fetal medicine and when is it needed?
At a glance
- Maternal-fetal medicine is specialized care for moms and unborn babies during pregnancy
- Referrals to maternal-fetal medicine are made if your provider identifies potential pregnancy complications
- Reasons for referrals include a mother’s chronic condition or concerns with fetal growth and development
The journey of pregnancy is often filled with excitement and anticipation. For most, it progresses smoothly with routine care from an OB/GYN or midwife.
However, some pregnancies are considered “high risk” and require specialized care to ensure the health and safety of both mother and baby.
A pregnancy is high risk when there are concerns that could affect the mother, the fetus or both. Factors that may complicate pregnancy include the mother’s age, a chronic medical condition like diabetes or hypertension, or concerns about the fetus’s growth and development discovered during routine checkups.
In these instances, your doctor or other health care provider may refer you to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
Also known as perinatologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists are OB/GYNs who are fellowship-trained in caring for high-risk pregnancies. They work in close collaboration with a pregnant person’s primary OB/GYN or midwife throughout pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care.
“Whether the complication is minimally impactful to the mom or baby, or the mother has a history of complications from a prior pregnancy that affects the current pregnancy, we’ll see the entire gamut,” explains Tamara Chao, MD, a MultiCare maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
When is a referral to maternal-fetal medicine necessary?
An OB/GYN or midwife will refer you to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist if they’ve identified something that could complicate the pregnancy. This isn’t cause for alarm; rather, it’s a proactive step to provide access to a dedicated team of experts.
Common reasons for a referral include:
- Maternal health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disease, seizure disorders or thyroid disease
- Multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets or more)
- Current or previous pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, placenta problems or a previous preterm birth
- Fetal concerns around growth, development or potential birth defect
- Advanced maternal age (35 or over)
Comprehensive services for complex pregnancies
Maternal-fetal medicine offers a wide range of services designed to provide the highest level of care.
Advanced fetal ultrasound is one of the most common. The sonographers who perform these ultrasounds have undergone rigorous training focused on fetal anatomy and development.
“Our ultrasonographers are specifically trained in fetal conditions, compared to general sonographers who do the whole body,” Dr. Chao says. “They are experts at performing detailed anatomical surveys to screen for abnormalities and monitoring the baby’s growth.”
Based on ultrasound findings and the mother’s health, maternal-fetal medicine specialists provide recommendations, as well as information about risk screenings and diagnostic services, to help parents make informed decisions about tests like amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
Board-certified and licensed genetic counselors are also on staff. They help parents understand the risks of inherited conditions, interpret the results of genetic testing, and navigate the emotional and medical implications of a diagnosis. Genetic counselors can explain the potential impact on the current pregnancy and any future pregnancies.
In addition, maternal-fetal medicine will help manage your care in the hospital, should you go into preterm labor or be hospitalized early in pregnancy or for conditions like preeclampsia.
For babies born prematurely or with critical health needs, maternal-fetal medicine practices are also connected with neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
“At MultiCare Maternal-Fetal Medicine, we have a collaborative group of providers with vast experience,” Dr. Chao adds. “We have five well-established clinics in Pierce County, and we have the huge benefit of working closely with Mary Bridge Children’s
NICU, pediatric surgery, cardiology and other subspecialities.”
By bringing together this expertise, maternal-fetal medicine ensures that even in the most challenging circumstances, mothers and babies have access to the best possible care.
