Prenatal Care

Every pregnant couple wants to give birth to a healthy child. Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center are available through all stages of pregnancy to help women experiencing medically complicated pregnancies deliver healthy babies. Our expert staff has extensive experience in the management of the most complex maternal and fetal disorders.

Prenatal Diagnostic Center

Our outpatient evaluation service offers care for a variety of high-risk pregnancy conditions. Women, particularly those whose medical history includes past obstetrical complications, difficulty conceiving or miscarriage, or a chronic condition such as diabetes, can receive expert advice to plan for a healthy baby.

Our highly-trained Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists utilize high resolution ultrasound technology, including 2-D and 3-D ultrasound, to provide comprehensive obstetrical exams. The diagnostic center also offers specialized care for pregnant mothers and fetuses at risk for pregnancy-related complications. Tests are available to help evaluate your baby's health, including sonograms, fetal echocardiograms, non-stress tests and amniocentesis.

Pre-natal care is essential to a healthy outcome for women with diabetes. Our staff works with diabetic women to closely monitor blood glucose and diet, and establish an optimum insulin regime to help keep a mother's blood glucose at normal levels and decrease many of the risks to her baby.

First Trimester Screening

Some expectant parents hope for a baby girl. Others wish for a baby boy. But all parents want the same thing: a health baby. According to the Centers for Disease Control, birth defects affect about one in every 33 infants born in the United States each year.

It is crucial for any birth defect to be detected as early as possible, to better prepare for birth and to maximize outcomes. At Saint Francis, we offer a combined first-trimester ultrasound and serum screening (blood test) to help identify potential problems.

The combined first-trimester ultrasound and serum screening is performed early in the pregnancy (usually at 10 to 13 weeks). The combination of a blood test and an ultrasound is very accurate in detecting abnormalities that are generally not detected until much later in the pregnancy.