Maternal Fetal Medicine

What is MFS (Maternal Fetal Medicine)?

• In Pre-ultrasound era Fetus was inaccessible patient. Surrounded by warm amniotic fluid protected by uterine and abdominal wall and anomalies were evident only after birth
• Maternal–fetal medicine began to emerge as a discipline in the 1960s. Advances in research and technology allowed physicians to diagnose and treat fetal complications in utereo, whereas previously, obstetricians could only rely on heart rate monitoring and maternal reports of fetal movement.
• With advent of ultrasound, rapid development of science and technology improved understanding of fetal physiology, natural history of anomaly and disease
• No feeling can ever match the joy and pride a woman experiences as a mother. The pleasure of motherhood is what most women yearn for. And having a healthy baby is every mother's desire. But then not all mothers are so fortunate. While many of us can at best empathies with the anxious mother whose fetus is detected with an abnormality
• Fetus lends itself for examination and fetus is considered as a patient
• Fetal medicine is a relatively new specialty that often requires the expertise and input from various specialists like fetal physician (sonologist), geneticist, obstetrician, neonatal team and fetal pathologist.
• Fetal medicine is a branch of medicine that includes the assessment of fetal growth and wellbeing, the maintenance of fetal health and the diagnosis of fetal illnesses and abnormalities.
• As prenatal diagnosis has improved, so has our capability to diagnose problems before birth. Therefore, the fetus is increasingly becoming an independent individual, and fetal medicine is the specialty that addresses this “unborn patient.”
• We have maintained international standards of fetal care and follow the FMF – UK and ISUOG guidelines in all our practices.
• Our team provides care in a atmosphere of compassion, knowing that patients and family are sometimes dealing with difficult decisions and fears about the future
• The following are components of fetal medicine done at Care IVF

FETAL IMAGING (Level II Fetal Scan)

• Early Viability Scan (6-10 W)
• First Trimester Screening (11-14 W)
• Targeted Scan (18-24 W)
• Growth Scan (24-40 W)
• Multiple Pregnency Scan
• Cervical screening - gives risk for preterm delivery and pre-eclampsia
• Post date pregnancy assessment

ANTERNATAL SCREENING FOR DOWN SYNDROME

• I Trimester (Usg & Bio-Chemical Screening)
• II Trimester (Triple / Quadruple Screening Test)
• NIPT

• Amniocentesis
• Chorionic villus sampling
• Cordocentesis
• Selective fetal reduction

GENETIC COUNSELLING CLINIC