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300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 355-6000
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Clinical Services (Advanced Fetal Care Center):
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Diagnostic Imaging and Counseling
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The Advanced Fetal Care Center is experienced with medical challenges that others may see only occasionally, if at all. The team's expertise, coupled with state-of-the-art technologies, enable us to provide an extremely fine diagnosis of complex fetal anomalies. This greatly supports families and referring physicians in determining the most appropriate course of care.
Diagnostic tests may include:
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- Fetal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, enabling us to acquire additional anatomic information. The AFCC is setting a new standard in fetal MR that draws on our expertise in pediatric imaging. Preparing for a fetal MR.
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- Fetal echocardiogram (fetal echo), a highly specialized, detailed ultrasound examination of the fetal heart, performed in the event a fetal cardiac abnormality is suspected or when hemo-dynamic assessment is warranted. Read more.
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AFCC pediatric radiologists Carol Barnewolt, MD, and Judy Estroff, MD, Co-Directors of Fetal Imaging in the Department of Radiology at Children's Hospital Boston, perform the ultrasound and/or MR and evaluate and review the results with the rest of the medical team. If necessary, a fetal echo will be performed by a pediatric cardiologist who specializes in prenatal diagnosis of heart defects.
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Ultrasound testing uses high-frequency sound waves and a computer to create images of blood vessels, tissues and organs. The evaluation provides general information about the size and position of fetal organs and how they are functioning.
Although you may have had a routine ultrasound at your obstetrician's office, AFCC pediatric radiologists use state-of-the-art technology and their unique experience to produce and analyze detailed images of your unborn child. The procedure is conducted in an exam room by a radiology technologist and an AFCC pediatric radiologist. You will be asked to lie still while the clinician moves a receiver called a transducer over your abdomen. Your AFCC pediatric radiologist records detailed images of the entire pelvis.
Family members and partners are welcome to accompany the mother to the procedure room. The procedure is painless, takes about one hour and is safe for you and your baby. You are allowed to eat and drink prior to testing, however, we recommend avoiding caffeine because it can make the baby more active during assessment. Also, a "full bladder" is not required.
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MR is a diagnostic test that uses a combination of a large magnet, radio frequencies and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body. The MR machine is a large, tube-shaped machine that creates a strong magnetic field around the patient.
This magnetic field, along with a radio frequency, alters the alignment of hydrogen atoms in the body. Computers are then used to form two-dimensional images of fetal organs based on the response of the hydrogen atoms. No radiation is used and, based on years of experience, there are no known harmful effects.
Family members and partners are welcome to accompany the mother to the procedure room. The MR procedure takes 30 minutes to an hour. You are allowed to eat and drink prior to testing although, as with ultrasound, we recommend avoiding caffeine because it can make the baby more active during assessment. Also, a "full bladder" is not required and this test is safe for you your baby.
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Once your studies are completed, the AFCC radiologists review the images with nursing staff and pediatric specialists. Following this review, you will meet with the team to go over the results, discuss what the findings mean for the fetus for the remainder of the pregnancy, and review expected outcomes after birth related to surgery, hospitalization, and long-term health. You will have time to review the images and ask questions.
Our goal is to provide the most complete information about a diagnosis and treatment. We honor and support the personal treatment decisions that each family ultimately makes.
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Each week, the AFCC holds a conference attended by more than 80 health care professionals across disciplines -- obstetrics, neonatology, radiology, pediatric specialties, nursing, and genetic counseling -- where cases are presented to discuss their management, treatment options and outcomes.
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We remain available for consultation throughout the pregnancy, and our nursing staff continues as the liaison to you and your physician to answer any questions. We can also assist you in setting up consultations with local high-risk obstetricians if you choose to deliver your baby close to Children's Hospital Boston. For high-risk cases, we assist in the coordination of complex deliveries to assure pediatric specialists' presence and evaluation after birth.
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The information on this website should not be taken as medical advice,
which can only be given to you by your personal health care professional. |
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Copyright © Children's Hospital Boston. All rights reserved. |
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