Maternal-Fetal Medicine (High-Risk Pregnancy)

We believe that everyone deserves the very best care throughout their pregnancy. The majority of pregnancies follow a fairly routine course, however, some have medical difficulties. These may affect your health, your baby’s health or both. This is considered a “high-risk” pregnancy.

There are many different types of pregnancy complications. That is why it is important to seek a highly skilled perinatologist — an obstetrician who has additional training and board certification in high-risk pregnancy care. This type of doctor is also referred to as a “maternal-fetal medicine specialist.”

The Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine has gained international recognition as a leader in comprehensive, innovative care for high-risk pregnancies. Each year, our team delivers hundreds of high-risk pregnancies.

We are passionate about helping you and your baby achieve the healthiest pregnancy and birth possible.

Why Choose Weill Cornell Medicine?

Compassionate, individualized care for you and your baby: Our team provides supportive care during and after your high-risk pregnancy. All care is designed to help you and your baby or babies be as healthy as possible throughout the pregnancy.

Your treatment will be personalized around your or your baby’s specific condition. We will care for you so that you can achieve the highest physical and emotional health and well-being.

Our team meets frequently to discuss how we can best care for all of our patients, review outcomes and share recent research. This leads to more effective care and treatments for our current and future patients.

Conditions We Treat

Our team cares for pregnant patients who have an underlying condition, such as:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Preeclampsia (high blood pressure after 20 weeks)
• Diabetes or other endocrine disorders
• Kidney or gastrointestinal disease
• Infectious diseases (flu, strep throat, stomach virus and others)
• Lupus (a long-term autoimmune disorder) 

Our team also cares for patients who are otherwise healthy, but are at an increased risk for complications due to:

• Abnormal AFP (alpha fetoprotein) blood test
• Expected twins, triplets or more
• Recurrent preterm (early) labor or birth
• Premature rupture of membranes
• Recurrent pregnancy loss
• Suspected fetal growth restriction (baby not growing enough)
• Baby’s congenital anomalies or genetic disease
• Placenta disorder
• Irregular shaped uterus
• Fibroids (lumps growing in the uterus)
• Prior history of abdominal (stomach or uterus) surgery

Care and Treatment by Leading Experts

Fortunately, advances in technology and imaging have helped improve the diagnosis and care for high-risk pregnancies. In collaboration with our nationally renowned Ultrasound Services Unit, our team uses the most advanced technology to evaluate your baby’s development and growth.

Early detection of any condition is important because it improves the likelihood of your and your baby’s long-term health, as well as increases your peace of mind throughout your pregnancy.

During the 30-minute test, one belt is attached to your stomach to measure your baby’s heart rate and another belt measures your contractions. Movement, heart rate and "reactivity" of heart rate to movement is measured. Your doctor can discuss the results of the test with you right away after it is complete.

Doppler ultrasound: is a noninvasive method to assess and measure the fetus' blood flow using ultrasound technology.