Cape Maternal & Fetal Medicine

With up to eight percent of expecting mothers experiencing complications during pregnancy, Saint Francis Medical Center highly values its partnership with Cape Maternal & Fetal Medicine to provide comprehensive care to parents throughout the region.

What Is a Perinatologist?

A perinatologist – also known as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist – is a doctor who works with expecting mothers and their obstetricians or family practitioners who deliver babies to ensure the healthiest pregnancies possible if they are at higher-than-normal risk.

Who Sees a Perinatologist?

Obstetricians or family practitioners refer patients to a perinatologist if:

• There is need for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures during pregnancy
• Medical or surgical disorders could complicate pregnancy
• Pregnancy is at an increased risk for an adverse outcome
• There is concern of preterm labor, low birth weight, illness or other complications

With a full-time perinatologist, Cape Maternal & Fetal Medicine’s highly trained physician and support staff work closely with expecting parents and their referring obstetricians and family practitioners to co-manage a variety of medical complications that can occur during pregnancy, including:

• Chronic renal disease
• Complicated preeclampsia and eclampsia
• Congenital disorders
• Diabetes
• Endocrine diseases
• Gastrointestinal diseases
• Hematological diseases
• Hypertension and cardiac disease
• Incompetent cervix
• Infectious diseases
• Neurological diseases and seizure disorders
• Preterm labor
• Recurrent pregnancy losses
• Significant second or third trimester bleeding

Cape Maternal & Fetal Medicine diagnoses and treats pregnancy-related complications through state-of-the-art technology, advanced procedures and personalized care, including:

• Preconception genetic counseling for concerns with personal and family health histories
• 4-D ultrasound technology that shows 3-D images of the baby’s movement
• Genetic disorder assessment by evaluating the baby’s heart and blood flow
• Prenatal diagnosis as needed through amniocentesis or other testing
• Careful monitoring and management of multiple gestation pregnancies
• Management of chronic conditions affecting pregnancies, such as diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure, thyroid disorders and seizure