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(973) 322-5287
Prenatal Evaluation
 Our
Division provides the following services for our patients:
ULTRASOUND: Diagnostic ultrasound machines use
sound waves—not x-rays—to provide information about
your developing pregnancy. Ultrasound may provide information
including the number of fetuses, the position of the fetus and
placenta and the amount of amniotic fluid. It can provide
a detailed view of the fetal anatomy and information on fetal growth,
and can even show if the fetus appears to be receiving enough blood
and oxygen. Ultrasound is also used to guide the physician
during tests such as amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling and
percutaneous umbilical blood sampling.
AMNIOCENTESIS: In this procedure, a needle is
inserted into the uterus in order to remove a small sample of fluid
from around the fetus. Cells from the fetal skin are present
in the fluid and can be studied to evaluate the fetal chromosomes. Amniotic
fluid may also give information about fetal lung maturity and the
risk of the fetus having spina bifida. Results often take
10-14 days.
CHORIONIC VILLUS SAMPLING (CVS): CVS allows evaluation
of the fetal cells for genetic disease and offers the unique advantage
of providing critical information in the first trimester. Under
ultrasound guidance at 10 to 11 weeks of gestation, a thin tube
is passed through the cervix or abdomen into the placenta to obtain
a small tissue sample. Results are often available as early
as 11 to 13 weeks of pregnancy.
ANTEPARTUM FETAL TESTING: Because some conditions
increase the risk to a fetus, antepartum fetal testing is used
to assess the well-being of the developing baby. These non-invasive
tests, such as the nonstress test (NST) and biophysical profile
(BPP), utilize fetal heart rate machines or ultrasound to monitor
the pregnancy.
GENETIC COUNSELING: Our fully trained genetic
counselors help couples determine determine if their fetus is at
risk for a birth defect or genetic disease. Even more importantly,
our counselors explain the choices when a concern is found and
answer any questions. They can help couples considering a
pregnancy, those pregnant women with a potential problem and families
in which an abnormality has been found. They help interpret
each couple’s unique situation and assist them in making
the choice that is right for their family.
Your physician may refer you to the genetic counselors for a number
of different reasons:
- You will be 35 or older at your due date.
- Your serum screen to evaluate your risk of a chromosome abnormality
or spina bifida is abnormal.
- Someone in your family has a genetic condition or birth defect.
- You were exposed to certain forms of medications, infections,
radiation or chemical agents.
- You are of an ethnic background that places your baby at risk
for a genetically inherited disease, such as cystic fibrosis,
Tay-Sachs disease, sickle cell anemia, etc.
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