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High-risk pregnancies
Pregnancy is usually a smooth transition for many expectant mothers; however, there is a small percentage that the process turns out to be hectic. In most cases, the process ceases to be smooth when complications associated with pregnancy start developing. When the complications start occurring, your OB/GYN might recommend you to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, who is also commonly referred to as perinatologist. A perinatologist is an OB/GYN or obstetrician who has been precisely trained on how to handle complications associated with both low and high-risk pregnancies. Richard Strathmann OBGYN provides internationally ranked medical care services like ultrasound, genetic counseling, maternal-fetal medicine, among others. In order for one to be accredited, one has to prove that they have competency in instrumentation, quality assurance, safeguarding patient’s information, policies and treatment procedures.
The medical care needed for high-risk pregnancies
Maternal-fetal health specialists deal with the diagnosis, treatment, and provision of necessary medical care to expectant mothers as well as their unborn babies. They can also provide medical care to women who are not yet pregnant but are in the process. These women who are not yet pregnant might require specialized medical care as they are prone to develop health complications during pregnancy based on their previous pregnancies, medical history or family medical history. Maternal-fetal health specialists work hand in hand with your OB/GYN in order to provide both the expectant mother and unborn child with the best medical care throughout the pregnancy period. During the delivery and postpartum care, the maternal-fetal specialist continues working collaboratively with other health specialists in various areas to ensure that the baby gets a healthy start at life as well as ensuring the mother is in good health. All the health specialists will provide a wide range of services like diabetes counseling, genetic counseling, managing high-risk pregnancies, in-utero therapy and prenatal and postnatal testing services. The health specialists on the team will include accredited maternal-fetal specialists, nurses, perinatal sonographers, genetic counselors, administrative and supporting staff members.
Types of High-Risk Pregnancies
It is a relief that the greatest percentage of pregnant women experience smooth pregnancies. The number of expectant mothers who undergo high-risk pregnancies is, therefore, countable. The main reasons that contribute to high-risk pregnancy are diabetes and blood pressure. If the pregnancy is identified as high risk, the patient can continue visiting their primary care physician or OB/GYN while occasionally consulting the maternal-fetal specialist for the high-risk pregnancy care services. Other factors or conditions that lead to high-risk pregnancy are preeclampsia, hypertension, lupus, thyroid issues, multiple births, antiphospholipid, early labor and clotting disorders. With maternal-fetal health care, the development issues or birth defects that might occur in the baby can be monitored during the pregnancy and the necessary treatment administered.
Special services provided
There is a special program for pregnant women who have diabetes. This program is aimed at providing comprehensive medical care for women who have diabetes and plan on becoming pregnant. Expectant mothers who become diabetic after becoming pregnant, known as gestational diabetes, are also covered in this program. When the proper care and precautions are taken during the early stages of pregnancy, the risks, complications and birth defects associated with diabetes are highly minimized or eliminated. The health specialists dealing with diabetes in pregnancy will provide personalized meal plans, monitoring of blood glucose, medicine, and follow up check-ups to monitor individual progress.
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