High-Risk Pregnancy

All pregnancies need special care, but certain conditions can cause your pregnancy to be considered "high-risk." At Carle Foundation Hospital, we're experienced in high-risk pregnancies, and your doctor will determine if your pregnancy falls in this category.

Conditions that can cause your pregnancy to be considered high-risk include:

Expert Care for High-Risk Pregnancy

Our maternal fetal medicine specialists (obstetricians trained in high-risk pregnancies and births) can evaluate and counsel you on health issues and medical or genetic disorders. They can provide specialized monitoring and testing such as:

• Advanced Fetal Imaging - includes targeted ultrasound, biophysical profile, Doppler studies, nuchal translucency and fetal echocardiography
• Chromosomal analysis - a test that looks at a group of cells to identify genetic problems
• Amniocentesis - a test where a small amount of fluid surrounding a fetus is removed and examined to determine if there are chromosomal abnormalities that could result in conditions such as Down Syndrome

Level III Perinatal Services

These days you'll find a lot of things designed for your baby's safety. But none may be more important than the team providing Carle's Level III Perinatal Services. Our highly trained team of doctors, nurses and other health care providers is available 24 hours a day along with all the necessary resources such as target ultrasounds, Doppler flow studies and specialized respiratory equipment for newborns. That means if you have a high-risk pregnancy or pre-term delivery, they'll be here for you and your baby.

The Perinatal Team

Carle's Level III Perinatal Services team includes specialists in neonatology, obstetrics and OB anesthesia in-house 24 hours a day, every day. Plus we have a maternal fetal medicine specialist on staff who is immediately available. Additional physicians who are available as needed to assist in patient care management include pediatric ophthalmology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, developmental pediatrics, neurology and surgery.  

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

If your baby is born early or has special problems, our team of neonatologists, nurse practitioners, nurses and respiratory therapists are here to provide the individualized care your baby needs in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

Emotional Support for High-Risk Pregnancy

The important thing to remember is you're not alone. In addition to the support of our experienced medical team, you can talk to other parents in our Carle Facebook community.

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