Maternal Fetal Medicine

Our team is here for you every step of the way, from planning for pregnancy to caring for high-risk pregnancies. With unmatched expertise and a compassionate approach, we deliver expert care.

You may benefit from Ochsner’s Maternal Fetal Medicine Program if:

• You were 35 years or older when your baby was conceived
• You are carrying multiples, including twins, triplets or more
• You have a family history of genetic disorders or birth defects
• You have a history of preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy and postpartum) or gestational diabetes
• You’ve had a previous premature delivery, miscarriage or stillbirth
• You have a complication, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, an infectious disease, gastrointestinal issues, a cardiopulmonary condition or an autoimmune disorder
• You have placental anomalies
• You have a pregnancy recently diagnosed with a birth defect or congenital anomaly
• You had a pregnancy in the past with a birth defect or congenital anomaly
• You want a second opinion about a recent fetal diagnosis

Learn more about Fetal Care at Ochsner

In the last 15 years, there has been 50 percent increase in first births to women over 40 –­ and one in five women is delaying pregnancy until after the age of 35. If you fall into one of these groups, good prenatal care and regular check ups can increase your chances of having a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. So can choosing an experienced team like the one at Ochsner.

Having a baby after age 35 increases your risks for:

• Miscarriage or ectopic (tubal) pregnancy
• Complications, such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, placenta abruption and placenta previa
• Conceiving a baby with a chromosomal problem
• Having a premature delivery or a low birthweight baby
• Having a cesarean section

Ask your doctor for more information.

By combining perinatal expertise and experience with sophisticated technology, patients on the Gulf Coast can receive comprehensive, high-risk pregnancy care without traveling to New Orleans.

At Ochsner Specialty Health Center – Cedar Lake, certified, specially trained Maternal Fetal Medicine ultrasound technicians perform comprehensive fetal ultrasound evaluations to examine the growth and development of the fetus. The images are then read by Ochsner perinatologists, either in person or via virtual physician-to-patient ultrasounds.

During a virtual “telemedicine” visit, the fetal anatomy scan is reviewed live through a secure feed and remote monitoring technology. Two-way audio/video capability allows the off-site perinatologists to interact and collaborate with the ultrasound technician and the patient to discuss any findings and make any important decisions.

Additional services include prematurity evaluation, medical complications such as diabetes, first trimester nuchal translucency assessment, genetic amniocentesis and prenatal genetic counseling.

Patients requiring more complex procedures are referred to Ochsner Baptist in New Orleans.

Ochsner offers a variety of prenatal genetic studies that allow us to diagnose a number of conditions that lead to high-risk pregnancies, including:

• Cystic fibrosis
• Down syndrome
• Hemophilia
• Muscular dystrophy
• Sickle-cell anemia
• Spina bifida
• Tay-Sachs disease
• Trisomy 13
• Trisomy 18
• Trisomy 21

Couples who choose to have these studies often benefit from genetic counseling. Our compassionate, knowledgeable team is here to answer your questions.

Find out more

A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a highly specialized center for premature and special needs newborns and infants. Everyone on our staff is dedicated to the health and well-being of your baby. Partnering with our colleagues in general and high-risk obstetrics, Ochsner's neonatologists optimize the outcome of each pregnancy.

Learn more about the NICU services available at Ochsner

Having a high-risk pregnancy can be tough emotionally as well as financially. Brent House Hotel, connected to Ochsner Medical Center on Jefferson Highway, can help reduce the financial burden. Families treated at Ochsner Baptist can also stay at the Alder Hotel.