Perinatal Diagnostic Center
Advanced Maternal-Fetal Medicine Services
The Perinatal Diagnostic Center at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Md, provides diagnostic testing and ongoing care for women who are experiencing high-risk pregnancies. The Center’s team of maternal-fetal medicine specialists work in collaboration with your obstetrician to help ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby.
The Center is directed by a board-certified perinatologist—an expert in the management of high-risk pregnancies. The Center’s team also includes board-certified specialists in gynecology, obstetrics, genetics and neonatology.
- Women are referred to the center because they have a higher risk of developing a problem during pregnancy or at birth. There are a number of reasons why this may occur, including
- Pregnancy after age 35
- Hypertension or other conditions that increase risk for preeclampsia
- Diabetes, including gestational diabetes
- Multiple births
- Risk of premature birth because of a medical condition
- Advanced diagnostic pregnancy screening tools are used to identify any medical or genetic problems affecting the embryo or fetus, including:
- Biophysical profiles to determine fetal health during the third trimester of pregnancy
- Amniocentesis to evaluate amniotic fluid to check for genetic problems or infection
- Fetal Non-Stress test to monitor fetal heart rate
- Obstetric ultrasound to view the embryo or fetus in the mother's womb
- Genetic counseling
- The Center’s team can also provide a preconception health evaluation, which helps to identify any health conditions and risk factors that could affect a woman or her unborn baby if she becomes pregnant.
Women who require hospitalization during pregnancy may stay at Holy Cross Hospital’s 20-bed, specialized High-Risk Perinatal Center or at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital's Antepartum unit, where they receive close monitoring and expert care, 24-hours-a-day.
After delivery, newborns requiring special care have access to Holy Cross Germantown Hospital's Neonatal Unit or Holy Cross Hospital’s NICU, which cares for more newborns with complex medical issues than any other hospital in Maryland or the District of Columbia.