What sort of clinics do we provide

Women are referred to the fetal medicine unit for a number of different reasons. Most first appointments will be in the general fetal medicine clinic.

These clinics are run jointly by the clinical genetics and fetal medicine teams. Couples seen in this clinic will typically either have a history of a genetic problem in the family or the suspicion of a genetic problem in the current pregnancy. There are both consultants and genetics counsellors working the clinic, alongside the fetal medicine team in order that you receive both the information and support that you need during your pregnancy.

This clinic is designed specifically for women couples whose baby is known to have an abnormality in the brain or spinal cord. The clinic is staffed by a Fetal Medicine consultant, Dr Thomas Everett, Dr Sharon English, Consultant in Neonatology, Consultants in Neuroradiology, Consultants in Paediatric Neurology and Paediatric Neurosurgery. They will typically review specialist imaging (MRI scans), carry out ultrasound assessments of the baby and talk with you about the outlook for your baby and any operation that might be needed after birth.

The Fetal Surgical Clinic is run by a team of Fetal Medicine, Neonatal and Surgical Consultants along with specialist nurses and midwives. The clinic is for women whose babies are suspected to have a problem which may require an operation soon after birth. The aim of the clinic is to provide information about the care that you baby is likely to need after he or she has been born and what to expect both in the short term, during their stay on the neonatal unit, and in the longer term during childhood and beyond.

We offer an enhanced care pathway for women with a history of severe fetal growth problems, or stillbirth due to placental function problems, in a previous pregnancy.

We also provide monitoring for women whose pregnancies are complicated by growth problems in their current pregnancy.

The IRIS clinic is staffed by a team of midwives and Dr Breeze who is our Fetal Medicine consultant is a special interest in fetal growth and fetal and placental blood flow measurements (Dopplers).

We are involved in research projects aiming to better understand the causes of fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, and the optimal monitoring and timing of birth for babies who are not growing well during the pregnancy.

The fetal cardiology unit is located adjacent to the fetal medicine unit. There are daily clinics in fetal ccardiology for babies with suspected heart abnormalities or for women who have had a baby in the past with a heart abnormality. These clinics are run by Consultant Paediatric Cardiologists, Consultant Echocardiographers and Cardiac Nurse specialists with each having a vital role to play in the diagnosis of your baby’s condition, information providing and support for parents during the pregnancy and afterwards.

This clinic is for women where there is a high chance that their pregnancy may be affected by an abnormally adherent placenta (placenta accreta) or where vasa praevia is suspected. Most women attending this clinic will already be aware that they are at risk of one or other of these problems.

The clinic is run by Dr Sparey. Please attend with a full bladder so that the best views of can be obtained. If you have been referred to this clinic you will also need to have a scan through the vagina so that the placenta and fetal blood vessels can be examined properly. Most women will only require one appointment at this clinic and will then return to their normal antenatal clinics for further follow up.