South Texas Women's Health Center

Maternal-Fetal Medicine Services

 

The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology created the subspeciality of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in 1977 due to the fact that 15-20% of pregnancies are complicated by medical and/or obstetrical problems. These high-risk patients benefit from special care that is provided by a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist. South Texas Women's Health Center is one of the only civilian providers of high-risk services by Maternal-Fetal Medicine physicians in San Antonio.

 

A variety of patients are identified by their obstetrician-gynecologist as "high risk" due to such conditions as:

  • Previous stillbirth and/or previous congenital anomalies (birth defects)
  • Previous history of premature labor
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure) in pregnancy
  • Medical complications in pregnancy
  • Diabetes in pregnancy
  • Advanced maternal age (age 35 or older)

The Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists at South Texas Women's Health Center follow the guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG) regarding the recommended schedule for prenatal care visits, as well as for the care that expectant mothers should receive at the initial and subsequent visits.

 

Initial Visit

 

We encourage pregnant women to arrange for an initial prenatal care visit as soon as possible. During the initial visit you should expect the following procedures:

  • Initial history, including current health problems and treatments, drug allergies, surgical history, family history, past pregnancies (if any), gynecological conditions (such as history of abnormal Pap smears), dietary/exercise habits, and tobacco, alcohol and drug use.
  • Physical examination, including blood pressure, height and weight, and examination of the breasts, heart, lungs, abdomen, and extremities, as well as a pelvic examination to evaluate the size and shape of the uterus and other reproductive organs.
  • Initial prenatal lab screening, including Pap smear (unless normal screening has been reported within the last six months), blood type and Rh type, antibody screen, complete blood count, Rubella immunity, test for syphilis, urine culture/screen, tests for hepatitis, and counseling and consent for screening for HIV (the virus that causes AIDS)

Subsequent Visits

 

Subsequent visits usually include measurement of blood pressure, weight, and fundal height (size of the uterus) as well as measurement of fetal heart tones (beginning at 10-12 weeks). In addition urine samples are tested for the presence of sugar and protein,.

 

Subsequent prenatal lab screenings may include ultrasounds, MSAFP (a test for Down syndrome and some spinal defects) and amniocentesis (sampling the amniotic fluid for certain abnormalities).