Comprehensive Care. One Practice.

• Gynecological Care
• da Vinci Robotic Surgery
• Obstetric Care
• Infertility
• Maternal Fetal Medicine
• Birth Control
• Osteoporosis
• Incontinence

Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) is a medical specialty providing consultations to women at high risk for pregnancy complications. Glen Meade Center for Women's Health offers the expertise of a board-certified MFM specialist to provide pregnant women with an extraordinary level of personalized obstetrics care.

Consultation & Testing

Your treatment begins with a consultation with Dr. Wright to determine the specific needs of your situation. Most of our patients have fetal ultrasound at their first consultation.

Some testing (such as blood screening for Down's syndrome and amniocentesis) is offered to all patients according to standards established by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Other testing, specific to your situation, may also be offered to you. Dr. Wright will discuss with you the risks your pregnancy faces, testing options, and what the available technology can and cannot do. All testing is offered on a voluntary basis, allowing you to make the choices for your pregnancy.

Ultrasound may be used to assess fetal growth, fetal organs for birth defects, fetal markers for signs of genetic syndromes, placental location, umbilical cord malformations, amniotic fluid levels, and uterine/cervical health. Our patients are referred to us because of our special expertise in evaluating these issues, and our ultrasound equipment is the most advanced technology available. There are many highly specialized ultrasound techniques (i.e. nuchal lucency for higher risk of Down Syndrome, biophysical profile, fetal echocardiography, fetal doppler, color flow doppler) that may also be used if needed.

In addition to ultrasound, some patients choose to have amniocentesis performed when they feel such testing will help them make decisions about their pregnancy. Along with other types of fetal testing, amniocentesis does involve a small risk of pregnancy loss. It is estimated to cause miscarriage in 0.06% to 0.5% of cases. Because of this risk, we recommend that all our patients consider the value of such testing from their own perspective. Some patients feel they need the high level of accuracy an amnio can provide for certain specific defects. Other patients choose to avoid an amnio due to safety reasons. As with all testing, the choice is yours. We have the expertise to offer and explain all of your options.

High Risk Follow-up

Patients with certain complications and medical conditions may require additional testing and laboratory evaluation throughout their pregnancy. They may also require adjustments and changes to medications to help improve their chances for a healthy baby. Many medical diseases are capable of causing serious problems for the placenta and the baby, and babies at risk require ongoing assessment throughout the pregnancy to detect and monitor those complications. Our MFM team is here to assess and advise you all the way.

We carefully monitor the following:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Lupus
• Epilepsy
• Thyroid disease
• Recurrent miscarriage
• Thrombophilia
• Isoimmunization
• Twins and other multiples
• Cervical weakness
• Uterine malformations
• Fetal growth restriction
• Structural birth defects
• Abnormal amniotic fluid volume