For some women, routine prenatal care is not enough to ensure the health
and safety of the mother and baby. At the Aurora Women's Pavilion, our
Perinatal Assessment Center offers access to the latest diagnostic testing
and monitoring of both of your conditions. Our maternal fetal medicine
specialists are current with the latest technology and advanced approaches
in the care of women with high-risk pregnancies. They can offer expectant
mothers:
Pregnancy or pre-pregnancy consultation
Pregnancy planning for women with medical complications, such as
diabetes, chronic hypertension, renal disease, or previous history of
poor reproductive/pregnancy outcomes
Consultation on management of pregnancies complicated by obstetrical
or surgical conditions
Genetic counseling
Evaluation for potential parents who are older (mothers over 35,
fathers over 45)
Evaluation for potential parents who already have children or family
members with a genetic problem or birth defect
Evaluation of high-risk pregnancies that have been detected through
prenatal blood tests
Obstetrical ultrasound
Our ultrasound technologists are certified in 1st trimester screenings
which provides an earlier and more accurate test for Down syndrome and
trisomy 18 to provide a comprehensive resource for the assessment of
possible fetal concerns.
1st trimester screening for birth defects through early ultrasound
2nd trimester detailed sonography to screen for birth defects
3rd trimester screening of fetal size, fluid volume and placental
flow
Antenatal testing
We offer chorionic villus sampling (CVS) to test for chromosomal
abnormalities. During CVS, a sample of the tiny fingerlike growths found
in the placenta are taken for biopsy. This ultrsound-guided procedure is
generally done during the first 3 months of pregnancy, most often
between the 10th and 12th weeks, or 5 to 6 weeks earlier than
amniocentesis. CVS is used to detect such family diseases as Tay-Sachs
disease, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and hemophilia. It also
can be used to find chromosomal birth defects such as Down syndrome.
Non-stress testing to monitor the baby's heart rate
Biophysical profile to determine fetal well-being
Amniotic fluid assessment to measure the amount of fluid that
surrounds the baby
Genetic counseling 