UT Medical Group, Inc. :: High Risk Pregnancies Center

Memphis, Tennessee (March 18, 2010) -- Maternal-fetal medicine and genetics specialists at UT Medical Group Inc. have launched a new service for women who have pregnancy complications or who are at increased risk for complications, such as premature birth, gestational diabetes, and suspected birth defects. The Center for High Risk Pregnancies in east Memphis offers a full range of testing and treatment for women with these and other complications that may occur prior to conception, in pregnancy, and at delivery.

Conveniently located in the Baptist Women’s Hospital Physician Office Building at 6215 Humphreys Boulevard, the center’s team works with the patient’s obstetrician to carefully monitor the pregnancy and provide appropriate testing and therapy for both mother and fetus.

Maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr. Michael Schneider, the center director, said the clinic offers a full range of diagnostic services as well as treatment options. Tests include routine and high risk pregnancy ultrasound, chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis prenatal tests, and fetal echocardiography for heart studies. Fetal transfusion and surgery are performed at Le Bonheur Children’s Fetal Center, which is the only one of its kind in the area and one of less than 20 in the nation.

All of the doctors on the center’s medical team are board-certified in their specialties and serve on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) faculty. In addition to Schneider, the physician team includes reproductive geneticist Dr. Owen Phillips and maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr. Giancarlo Mari, who is also director of the UTHSC Maternal-Fetal Medicine Institute and interim chair of the obstetrics and gynecology department. Mari is known for his expertise in fetal ultrasound and has pioneered therapies for conditions such as twin-twin transfusion syndrome and fetal anemia.

“Our technological equipment and the medical expertise of our team enable us to provide a highly advanced level of care that is unique in the Mid-South,” Schneider said. “For example, we are the only Mid-South high risk obstetrical practice with a certified diabetes educator and board certified geneticist on staff. But excellent care requires more than the latest technology and the most current advances in evidenced-based medicine. We also take pride in providing a caring and compassionate environment for our patients and their babies.”

He noted that women who are referred to the center are facing the joy of pregnancy as well as the anxiety of potential complications.

“We understand how they feel because we are parents ourselves. We take great care to answer all of the their questions, explain any tests that need to be performed, and counsel them on the results. Our first concern is to ensure the health of the patient and her baby.”

Candidates for referral to the center include women who have an increased chance of developing complications or who already are experiencing a complicated pregnancy. Examples of high risk conditions include:
·     The mother is under 17 or over 35 years old.
·     The pregnancy involves multiple fetuses.
·     The mother has a chronic medical condition such as diabetes or hypertension.
·     Prenatal testing indicates a suspected birth defect.
·     The mother is diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes).
·     A previous pregnancy resulted in miscarriage.
·     The mother has given birth prematurely in the past.
·     The mother has a history of fibroids or other gynecological problems.

In some cases, the OB/GYN may refer a patient to the center before she becomes pregnant, noted Dr. Schneider.

“If the woman has a pre-existing medical condition such as epilepsy or family history of a certain disease, for example, she may benefit from pre-conception counseling and/or genetic testing.”

For more information on the Center for High Risk Pregnancies, visit http://www.thechrp.com.

UT Medical Group is the private group practice affiliated with the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine faculty. A not-for-profit, non-tax-supported group practice, UTMG is dedicated to quality patient care, medical education, and medical research. For more information, visit www.utmedicalgroup.com.

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