Perinatology (High-Risk Pregnancy)

Perinatology is a field of specialization that determines highly-risky and problematic pregnancies, deals with the diagnosis and treatment of the diseases of the baby in the womb, and sub-branch of obstetrics and gynecology.

As a general definition; Perinatologist is the specialist who controls patients before, during and after pregnancy in case of high risk.

It includes very important stages such as diagnosis and treatment plan of many diseases originating from fetus and mother before birth. In case of necessity, invasive procedures are also applied during birth or during pregnancy within the scope of perinatology.

Perinatology is concerned with predicting the diseases that may occur during pregnancy, making a timely diagnosis and arranging the necessary treatment. Thus, it is tried to prevent possible bad consequences.

Perinatology works in the areas of;

Improving the health of expectant mothers and their babies,

Early diagnosis of fetal abnormalities,

Screening for chromosomal abnormalities,

Prevention of miscarriages and stillbirths,

Determination and prevention of preterm birth in advance,

Diagnosis of problems that may occur in multiple pregnancies.

Specialties Included in Perinatology

Detailed Fetal Ultrasonography

Fetal Anomalies

Fetal Echocardiography

Fetal Heart Anomalies

Prenatal Diagnosis

Prenatal Diagnostic Procedures

Pregnancy Complications

Four Dimensional Fetal Imaging

Prenatal Diagnosis of Genetic Diseases

Consultancy in Risky Pregnancies

Management Of Multiple Pregnancies

Who Should Apply to Perinatology?

In order to evaluate whether it is necessary to be under the supervision of a perinatologist during pregnancy, all pregnant women should be examined by a perinatologist at least once.

According to the examination findings, it can be determined which patients will definitely need follow-up and treatment by perinatology. Other pregnant women can be taken into standard pregnancy follow-up.

Perinatology is a department to which highly-risky pregnancy or expectant mothers, who may have this risk, should apply. Especially if the mother has any known chronic disease before pregnancy or in case of risks starting during pregnancy, the expectant mothers should be followed up by perinatologists.

Especially risky pregnancies can occur in the following situations:

Expectant mothers, who become pregnant at the age of 35 and over, can be considered as risky pregnancy.

People, who smoke and drink alcohol, should work with a perinatologist before and after conception. In this way, a healthier pregnancy process can be achieved.

In chronic diseases such as thyroid diseases, heart diseases or diabetes, the expectant mother is considered as risky,

Pregnancy may be risky with some drugs that should be used,

If the pregnant woman is too thin or too overweight than the ideal weight,

Risky pregnancy history in previous pregnancies,

Chromosome anomaly or structural disorders in previous pregnancies,

Gestational Diabetes,

In case of some genetic diseases, the follow-up of the mother should start before pregnancy if possible, if not possible, it should be ensured that the pregnancy is followed up by referring to the perinatology specialist as soon as possible.

Perinatology and Follow-up of High Risk Pregnancies

Follow-up of high risk pregnancies; should be done by physicians who are specialized and experienced in this field. In highly-risky pregnancies, maintaining the communication with the mother is as important as keeping the health of the baby under control and making the right planning for the healthy completion of the pregnancy.

In case of a disease or abnormality affecting the pregnancy process, it may be possible to terminate the pregnancy in a healthy way without being affected by this disease, if the risk of pregnancy is managed by the obstetrician who is experienced in that field.

On the other hand, a very careful and meticulous work is carried out to analyze all possible risks and to eliminate negative situations.

It is vital to work with the right specialist to complete the birth in a healthy way and for the baby to come into the world in a healthy way. It ranks at the top among the duties of perinatologists to make all the plans to intervene after birth related to health problems detected during pregnancy.