Regular antenatal care including ultrasound and foetal medicine helps reduce the risks for baby as well as the mother, says an expert at Sidra Medical and Research Center.
The services at the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the Sidra Outpatient Clinic offers pregnant women ultrasound screening for foetal anomalies. The clinic also offers information that may help mothers better prepare for the birth of their child including the option of delivery in a setting that will permit rapid access to specialist surgical or medical care.
“Foetal Medicine is the key to maternity care and contributes to improved maternal survival and neonatal health. It is one of the best investments a country can make. At Sidra we aim to achieve this goal so that our patients can have full access to quality antenatal care services,” Professor Karim Kalache (pictured), Division Chief of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division at Sidra, told The Peninsula.
“Diabetes, obesity and hypertension in pregnancy are among some of the most common risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. The harm that these conditions may cause can be considerably reduced if women are seen earlier in pregnancy at regular intervals. Our services aim to detect such conditions that might impair fetal or maternal health and to act accordingly,” said Prof Kalache.
“At present, the Outpatient Clinic at Sidra performs around 50 obstetric ultrasound examinations a day on pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy. The vast majority of them will eventually give birth at the Women’s Hospital at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)“ says Prof Kalache.
“The obstetric screening that we are providing is done by dedicated sonographer trained in obstetric ultrasound together with highly specialised experts” he added.
Conducting an ultrasound during antenatal care makes it possible to assess gestational age more accurately, to diagnose twins and multiples and to rule out congenital anomalies.
