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Support for High-Risk Pregnancies
an article from the Winter 2009 issue of…
Expectant mother Lisa Davey and her husband, Bill, see their baby's heartbeat during a routine sonogram that Shannon Billheimer performs.
Every expectant mother hopes for a smooth pregnancy. Some women — including those who are pregnant with multiples, who have chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, or whose babies fail to develop properly — can face bumpier paths. Fortunately, Harbor Hospital's Fetal Assessment Center offers the expert care highrisk mothers need. The goal of this comprehensive prenatal diagnostic center is to help ensure the healthiest pregnancies possible and happy birth days. It offers state-of-the-art technology and highly qualified, compassionate caregivers.
Specialized Team, Expert Care
The center's director, perinatologist Chuka Jenkins, M.D., is board certified in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. With this training, he has the necessary skills and expertise to care for complicated pregnancies, always taking the best possible care of mothers and their babies.
Dr. Jenkins' team includes five perinatal nurses, four sonographers who specialize in ultrasound and a genetic counselor. This well-rounded group of professionals ensures the most appropriate care is taken at every step. "We all get very involved caring for our patients," Dr. Jenkins said. "Our top priority is helping couples with difficult or risky pregnancies have healthy children."
Preconceptual Counseling
When couples suspect they may face a difficult pregnancy, they are encouraged to visit the center for preconceptual counseling. "A woman with a chronic medical condition, such as hypertension, diabetes or lupus, needs to learn how that will affect her pregnancy," Dr. Jenkins said. "I also explain how pregnancy could further impact her health and her baby's."
Preconceptual counseling helps these women best manage their conditions to ensure healthy pregnancies. "It's a special privilege to help women improve their lives — and the lives of their families — by advising them about healthier lifestyles," Dr. Jenkins said.
Genetic Counseling and Testing
Genetic counseling, which can occur before or during pregnancy, can help a couple determine their risk of having a baby with birth defects, mental retardation or an inherited disease. Common reasons to seek genetic counseling include having:
- A family history of mental retardation, birth defects or a genetic disorder, such as cystic fibrosis
- Multiple miscarriages, a previous stillbirth or a child with a congenital abnormality, such as a heart defect
- An ethnic or racial background that presents a higher risk for certain genetic disorders, such as Tay-Sachs disease and sickle-cell anemia
If a couple has a family history of a genetic disease, the genetic counselor will discuss tests the couple or their developing baby may take. Before and after undergoing such testing, the couple talks with both Dr. Jenkins and the genetic counselor. This helps expectant parents understand the risks and benefits of the tests and what the results mean.
Care for Risky Pregnancies
The center is highly experienced to care for the following situations that require close monitoring:
- Expectant mothers older than 35
- Births that will be twins, triplets or more
- Mothers-to-be who have a condition such as diabetes
- Long (post-term) pregnancies
- Pregnancies in which too much or not enough amniotic fluid cushions the developing baby.
"Fortunately, we have many ways to make sure babies are doing fine during pregnancies in which there are increased risks for complications," Dr. Jenkins said. The center is accredited by the American Institute for Ultrasound in Medicine, so mothers and babies are assessed according to the highest national standards for safety and accuracy.
Dr. Jenkins carefully monitors each pregnancy. Babies born too many weeks before a full term of 40 weeks can suffer a variety of problems, including trouble breathing. In certain cases, though, doctors may determine ahead of time that an early delivery is best. For example, about five percent of mothers develop preeclampsia. This disease is characterized by high blood pressure and can compromise the mother's health, even threaten her life.
A lot of baby pictures decorate the walls in the center. Yet women who experience the expertise and warmth of this team don't simply send pictures; they often visit to show off their babies and introduce them to the caregivers who got them here safely.
"Many expectant mothers are willing to do just about anything to ensure their pregnancies go well and they have healthy babies," Dr. Jenkins noted. "We're here to help them do just that."
Fetal Assessment Center
Genetic Counseling
Request an appointment with an OB or midwife
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