The Fetal Medicine Unit
The guidelines recommend management of common obstetric conditions at primary and referral level, based on local experience and evidence-based practice. They are not intended as strict protocols nor as standard operating procedures, but rather as a guide to safe effective management of common obstetric problems. The guidelines should be most useful to interns, medical officers and registrars.
The discipline of Fetal Medicine has seen major recent advances, with improved imaging technology, advances in biochemical testing, & expanding knowledge & expertise. Prevention, prophylaxis, diagnosis & treatment are now available for many conditions that would otherwise have a disastrous outcome.
In addition to providing ultrasound referral, the Fetal Medicine Unit offers:
- First-trimester screening for aneuploidy (nuchal translucency & fetal anatomy)
- Chorion villus sampling (CVS), amniocentesis & cordocentesis, with first results available within 72 hours
- Pre-eclampsia screening using uterine artery Doppler studies
- Screening for preterm labour by measuring cervical length
- Fetal procedures such as intrauterine blood transfusion