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