The physicians in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset are specialists in high-risk pregnancy care. This means they have completed formal training beyond general obstetrics and gynecology at an accredited institution to acquire expertise in obstetrical surgery, prenatal diagnosis and in management of high-risk pregnancies.

All physicians in this division are on the academic faculty of the New York University School of Medicine, of which North Shore University Hospital is a major teaching affiliate. Our team also includes a group of highly educated, experienced and dedicated nursing professionals, including nurse practitioners, registered nurses, diabetic educators and nutritionists.

What Makes a Pregnancy High-Risk?

A pregnancy may be considered to be high-risk under various circumstances. Pre-existing medical conditions such as (but not limited to) diabetes, high blood pressure and heart or kidney disease may require specialized care. Multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, or more) carries greater risk to both mother and babies than does a singleton pregnancy. Problems such as abnormal growth and/or development of a baby may be discovered during the course of a pregnancy, and require care from a specialist in high-risk pregnancy. Also, women who have had problems with prior pregnancies, such as recurrent miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm delivery or high blood pressure, may benefit from the expertise provided by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.

What Services Are Provided by the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine?

Pre-Pregnancy Consultations

Women with a medical condition that may influence pregnancy outcome and vice versa, such as diabetes and thyroid, heart, kidney, rheumatologic or neurologic disease, as well as those with a history of medical complications in a prior pregnancy, are encouraged to seek pre-conception counseling. The specialist will discuss your history and make recommendations for care prior to and during the anticipated pregnancy. When a plan is in place well before a pregnancy is begun, care tends to be more thought-out and organized, anxiety is reduced and the chances of a healthy outcome are increased. For example, pre-conception counseling can allow for consultation, if necessary, with other specialists in a timely fashion. Another benefit might be the establishment of a medication regimen using the safest medications in the lowest possible doses for a pre-existing medical condition prior to and during the critical first trimester of pregnancy, when the major organ formation is taking place in the baby. Pertinent medical records should be provided to the maternal-fetal medicine specialist before your visit. The nurse practitioner can help you determine what is needed and advise you on how to obtain your records.

Pregnancy Consultations

A patient may be referred by her primary Ob/Gyn for evaluation and advice regarding management of a problem in the pregnancy. Such consultation may require one or multiple visits depending on the circumstances of the case. A sonogram is usually included in one or more of these visits. The referring physician will usually provide the patient with a written request for maternal-fetal medicine consultation and release pertinent medical records to the specialist for review.

Care During Pregnancy and Delivery

Sometimes, maternal-fetal medicine physicians assume the primary care and delivery of babies for women with high-risk pregnancies. If you feel that your pregnancy is high-risk and you call to make an appointment to be a patient of the practice, your call will initially be referred to a nurse practitioner, who will interview you to determine the nature of your risk situation. If you are under the care of an Ob/Gyn doctor in the area, that physician must formally transfer you to the practice for pregnancy care (you may not initiate a transfer on your own without their knowledge).

Prenatal Diagnosis and Antepartum Testing

The Center for Prenatal Diagnosis and Testing at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset is run by maternal-fetal medicine physicians. They work closely with a team of sonographers and nurses to monitor the health and development of your baby. The following services are available to patients who are referred by their primary Ob/Gyn: genetic counseling, obstetrical sonography, biophysical profile, non-stress testing and fetal echocardiography. Physicians in this center also perform procedures such chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis and external cephalic version.