Maternal and foetal care

Maternal and foetal medicine

What is maternal and foetal medicine?

Maternal and foetal medicine, also known as perinatology, is a branch of medicine that focuses on managing health concerns of the pregnant woman and foetus prior to and during pregnancy, and shortly after delivery.

The role of maternal and foetal specialists

Specialists in maternal and foetal medicine are specialists in the field of obstetrics who deal with pre-existing health concerns in women, as well as with complications caused by pregnancy.  They may perform prenatal tests (i.e. tests prior to the woman becoming pregnant), provide treatment and perform surgeries. They furthermore act as consultant during lower-risk pregnancies, and as the primary obstetrician in especially high-risk pregnancies. 

The field of maternal and foetal medicine is one of the most rapidly evolving fields in medicine, especially in respect of the foetus. Research in the field of foetal gene and stem cell therapy continues with the aim of providing early treatment for genetic disorders, open foetal surgery prior to birth for the correction of birth defects like congenital heart disease, and the prevention of pre-eclampsia.

Maternal and foetal specialists attend to patients who fall within certain levels of maternal care. These levels correspond to health risks for the mother, baby, or both during pregnancy. They take care of pregnant women who:

• have a medical condition such as heart or kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes or thrombophilia;
• are at risk for pregnancy related complications such as preterm labour, pre-eclampsia; and twin or triple pregnancies.
• have foetuses at risk due to chromosomal or congenital abnormalities, maternal diseases, infections, genetic diseases and growth restriction.