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Special Care for High-Risk Pregnancies  Dr. Alfredo F. Gei Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist The Methodist Hospital "Most births occur without incident, but a pregnancy may be considered high risk due to specific health conditions of the mother or developing baby," says Alfredo F. Gei, M.D., director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. The Methodist Hospital has long been known for compassionate advanced care to manage complex pregnancies. From preconception and genetic counseling to first- and second-trimester screenings, maternal-fetal medicine specialists offer a full range of personalized services for high-risk pregnancies. What Makes a Pregnancy High Risk? Every expectant mother needs and deserves special attention to ensure her baby is developing on target and to help make her as comfortable as possible during pregnancy. But women with high-risk pregnancies need a little bit more attention. "Being high risk doesn't mean that you or your baby will definitely have complications," explains Gei. "It just means that your doctor will follow your pregnancy closely to ensure that if there are any problems, they can be addressed early." Pregnancies are typically termed high risk when the mother:
A pregnancy is also high risk if the baby has a heart or lung problem, or genetic condition, such as Down syndrome. Special Attention for Moms and Babies Routine prenatal care is crucial to the health of all expectant moms and their unborn babies. But women with high-risk pregnancies may need more frequent prenatal visits and additional screenings and tests. "But each high-risk pregnancy is unique," Gei says. "Some may require more frequent prenatal visits, others lower on the risk spectrum need less monitoring." What happens during visits also varies for each high-risk pregnancy. For example, ultrasound sonography, which creates images of the developing baby, may be used earlier in a high-risk pregnancy. Rather than wait until week 12 for the first ultrasound, a woman may have her first ultrasound as early as week six. The Methodist Hospital also offers fetal MRI technology that creates detailed images of the developing baby. These high-resolution, cross-sectional images give doctors important information about the baby's health, and particularly, the baby's brain and central nervous system. "Advanced technology is just one of the tools we use to help protect the health and safety of our high-risk patients," Gei says. "Prenatal screenings are also becoming less invasive and more accurate, which results in better outcomes for both mother and baby." Personalized Care "High risk is a medical term that can mean many things," Gei says. "But at Methodist, it means providing special attention through advanced technology and compassionate, personalized care. If complications do arise, our maternal-fetal specialists are well-trained and experienced at handling them."
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