$detail.contentHost.facilityName - August 09, 2017

3 min Read Time

What do you do when your pregnancy ultrasound shows an abnormality?

We understand the overwhelmed feelings you must be experiencing. The first thing to do is to arm yourself with knowledge and to ensure that the healthcare system you choose can provide you and your baby with the level of care needed.

When you imagined what your prenatal care would be like, you probably assumed your obstetrician would be the primary physician monitoring your progress. Instead, think of prenatal care like a team sport with your OB as the coach. While your obstetrician is likely the primary medical professional you’ll turn to during the nine months of your pregnancy, specialists can quickly join the team when it's necessary, like when abnormalities are discovered with either mom or baby (or both).

Care For You, Care For Your Baby

Maternal-fetal medicine—also known as perinatology—is the branch of obstetrics that specializes in care of mothers and their unborn babies during pregnancy. Specialists in maternal-fetal care, called perinatologists, collaborate with your OB when a concern is detected and offers specialized care that ranges from comprehensive genetic testing, diagnostic imaging, pregnancy complication management and care for high-risk labors and deliveries.

The Kansas City region is home to The Maternal Fetal Care Health Center at Overland Park Regional Medical Center (OPRMC), offering the most advanced and comprehensive maternal-fetal medicine resources to provide moms and babies with the very best care before, during and after birth.

The perinatologists at The Maternal Fetal Care Health Center at OPRMC are here to help you understand—and treat—conditions that complicate pregnancies, including:

  • Cardiac disease
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Hypertension and preeclampsia
  • Autoimmune disorders (including Lupus)
  • Blog clotting disorders
  • Maternal anemia
  • Maternal thrombocytopenia
  • Placenta previa
  • Premature labor and cervical insufficiency
  • Age-related complications

And, should you need to be closely monitored at any point during your pregnancy, Overland Park Regional Medical Center houses the region’s only Antepartum Unit offering inpatient care for high-risk moms-to-be that need round-the-clock care. The Antepartum Unit staff works hand-in-hand with your OB to care for a variety of conditions such as, gestational diabetes, cardiac complications, placental abnormalities, and more.

Special Care for Your Baby

Perinatologists at The Maternal Fetal Health Center are able to use fetal intervention or surgery to treat the delicate needs of unborn babies, including in-utero therapy for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

When a concern is found during pregnancy, the perinatalogist steps in to evaluate, diagnose and treat any problems found while your obstetrician continues your overall pregnancy care. You may continue to see both doctors regularly throughout the remainder of your pregnancy.

A neonatologist may join the team as well. These are specialists in newborn health. By getting to know you and your baby during pregnancy, the neonatologist will be best able to provide the specialized care your baby needs at birth.

Where perinatologists specialize in care of children in the womb, neonatologists are specialists in the care of newborns. Their training includes pediatrics and newborn intensive care, giving them the specialized ability to treat disease, injury and birth defects that can affect newborns, including:

  • Fetal Cardiac Abnormalities
  • Fetal Genetic Disorders (Turner’s Syndrome, etc.)
  • Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
  • Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation (CPAM)
  • Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation (CCAM)

Babies with special needs after birth will receive top-notch care at one of HCA Midwest Health's four neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The most-advanced units include:

Comprehensive Care You Can Count On

HCA Midwest Health delivers more babies than any other hospital system in the Kansas City region. In fact, more than 5,000 moms from across 13 counties choose to deliver their babies with us each year.

This means that even if your pregnancy is faced with a complication, we’re equipped and ready to help you, and your baby, through it. The Maternal Fetal Health Center at the Overland Park Regional Medical Center is here for you every step of the way.

Call the Fetal Health Clinic at (913) 541-6780 to learn more and get the information you need for the healthiest—and happiest—pregnancy possible.

Want more helpful tips from the NICU specialists at HCA Midwest Health? Go to hcamidwest.com/service/neonatal-care and sign up to receive information right to your inbox.

tags: maternity , t4b