University of Virginia Health System

The Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine provides comprehensive perinatal services to patients and referring physicians with high risk pregnancies. The Division provides primary obstetrical care to high risk patients through our High Risk clinics as well as consultative services for high risk pregnancies referred by their primary providers elsewhere in the state of Virginia. We provide a broad range of prenatal diagnostic services for patients at increased risk for birth defects or genetic problems. Our services include genetic counseling by fully trained genetic counselors who obtain history and provide risk assessment for patients referred from providers or considering prenatal diagnostic procedures. Our sonographers perform ultrasound examinations under the guidance of the perinatologist for all obstetrical problems or prenatal diagnostic indications. Our service provides procedures including amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling (CVS), and percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS). The division participates in a broad-based program designed to provide risk assessment including first-trimester combined screening (including nuchal translucency and first-trimester serum screening) as well as second-trimester maternal serum screening.

Uniqueness of Service

The Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Virginia is the only service in the region that can provide complete perinatal and consultative services. Patients in our care can be assured of never needing to be transferred to a higher level institution, as all potential diagnostic and therapeutic options for both the patient and her baby are available at the University of Virginia. We are the only service in the region that provides a subspecialty trained perinatologist on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are also the only service that provides the full range of prenatal diagnostic options including screening, ultrasound, amniocentesis, CVS, and umbilical blood sampling.

Our continued interest in teaching and research keeps us at the forefront of modern medical science and helps to provides our patients with the newest and most complete variety of diagnostic and therapeutic options available.