At UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central, we offer the most advanced medical services for mothers facing high-risk pregnancy situations.
Memorial Hospital Central’s Maternal Fetal Center helps mothers with high-risk pregnancies. We offer several types of services during the course of a woman’s pregnancy, including expert diagnostic ultrasound, genetic counseling, genetic amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and a wide variety of medical or surgical counseling.
Maternal-fetal medicine
What is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist?
A maternal-fetal medicine specialist, otherwise known as a perinatologist, is an Ob/Gyn who has completed additional training through a formal fellowship and gained advanced knowledge of the obstetrical, medical, genetic and surgical complications of pregnancy.
A maternal-fetal medicine specialist is a referral source for general obstetrical providers when expert-level prenatal ultrasound or medical or surgical consultation is required.
Genetic counseling
What is genetic counseling?
The purpose of genetic counseling is to help individuals identify and understand genetic conditions they may pass to their children and to determine specific risks that may influence the pregnancy and the health of the baby. Genetic counselors are professionals in the area of genetics and psychology who help individuals understand the options available for people at risk of genetic conditions.
Who may benefit from genetic counseling?
Individuals who:
- Have a known hereditary disorder.
- Have a child or relative with intellectual disabilities, birth defects or other signs of a possible hereditary disease.
- Want to discuss global carrier screening for conditions common in the general population or to specific ethnic groups such as the Ashkenazi Jewish population.
Couples who:
- Are related to each other by blood.
Women who:
- Are pregnant and will be 35 years old or older at the time of the baby’s birth.
- Are at an increased risk for complications or birth defects due to an abnormal maternal serum screen.
- Have had prenatal exposures to medications, drugs or environmental exposures.
- Have a history of multiple (three or more) miscarriages and/or stillbirths.
What does a genetic counseling appointment include?
- A detailed review of family and medical histories.
- An explanation of the risks to the pregnancy and the benefits and limitations of available tests and screens.
- An explanation of risk recurrences.
- Coordination of additional testing and recommendations for the patient as indicated/desired by the patient.