Advances in maternal fetal medicine practice
Woo Syong Tan1, Robert Guaran, Daniel Challis
1Royal Hospital for Women, Australia. woosyong_tan@hotmail.com
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
|November 7, 2012
Summary
Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists manage high-risk pregnancies using advanced diagnostics and interventions. Subspecialisation in MFM improves outcomes for conditions like aneuploidy and prematurity.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Perinatology
- Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) is a critical subspecialty of obstetrics.
- It addresses pregnancies with identified risks, including maternal medical disorders, multiple fetuses, and extreme prematurity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an update on current advancements in Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) practices.
- To highlight the role of MFM in managing complex pregnancies and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Obstetric ultrasound for fetal assessment and anomaly diagnosis.
- Invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures.
- Management of pregnancies with maternal medical disorders, multiple fetuses, and extreme prematurity.
- Specialized fetal interventions (e.g., fetal shunting, intrauterine transfusion, fetoscopic laser photocoagulation, ex utero intrapartum treatment).
Main Results:
- MFM subspecialization has demonstrably reduced disability associated with aneuploidy, structural anomalies, multiple pregnancies, and extreme prematurity.
- MFM specialists are involved in research to enhance maternal and neonatal outcomes.
- Most Australian MFM specialists practice in metropolitan teaching hospitals.
Conclusions:
- MFM management focuses on timely counseling, appropriate intervention, and optimizing delivery timing and location.
- Advances in MFM contribute significantly to better outcomes in high-risk pregnancies.
- Continued research and specialized training are essential for MFM progress.
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