Maternal Fetal Medicine: Treatment, Cost and Side Effects

Maternal-fetal medicine is a special branch of obstetrics that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of pregnant women and their unborn babies. The physicians who treat maternal-fetal medicine are specialists in providing care for pregnant women who are at high risk of problems during their pregnancy. But now, maternal-fetal medicine is recommended even for the women experiencing a normal pregnancy. Maternal-fetal medicine is basically not a treatment but more of a continuous observation of the mother and the baby until the baby is born. This branch of medicine includes pre-conception counseling, delivery, recovery, diagnostic ultrasound services, cervical cancer screening, minimally invasive surgery, and entire gynecologic care for the mother and the baby. Maternal-fetal medicine includes pre-natal tests, treatments during the pregnancy period, and surgeries. This branch of medicine is one of the fastest evolving branches of medicine and research is being done to discover more effective ways of giving care to the mother and the fetus. Maternal-fetal medicine is essential for those who are having problems during their pregnancy and need extra care and observation than the average pregnant women. Now, everyone opts for maternal-fetal medicine to eliminate any risk to the mother and the fetus.

Basically, this treatment of maternal-fetal medicine is a continuous process during the entire length of the pregnancy. This is not much of a treatment but more of a form of special care given to the mother and the fetus. Usually, to avoid any kind of risk, all pregnant women want to opt for maternal-fetal medicine so that their fetus is under complete protection and care. The steps of maternal-fetal medicine include the following treatments and processes.

1. For both high risk and low-risk pregnancies, prenatal care is a must for all maternal-fetal medicine facilities. Deliveries are also mediated by the facilities under complete observation and care.
2. The gynecologic surgeries performed are minimally invasive in nature so that the recovery time is less.
3. Some maternal-fetal medicine facilities provide the care throughout a patient's reproductive life.
4. The diagnostic obstetrical and gynecologic ultrasounds are performed under this treatment.
5. All diagnostic testing and processes like amniocentesis, saline infusion sonohysterograms, fetal echocardiography, and CVS are done under this treatment.
6. Genetic counceling and advanced genetic testing are also done to advise the couple before conception.
7. Gestational diabetes management which is very important for pregnant women who are often at the risk of getting diabetes during the gestation period.

All pregnant women are eligible for the treatment of maternal-fetal medicine. But those who are having problems during their pregnancy should immediately opt for this treatment. This treatment looks to give care and protection to the fetus and the mother until delivery so those who are worried about themselves and their unborn baby should opt for this treatment. Maternal-fetal medicine is not much of a treatment during a normal pregnancy but just an observation and protection process. But during a complicated pregnancy, maternal-fetal medicine plays a broader role in treating the problems faced by the mother and the fetus and all the tests and diagnosis are done under this treatment. The eligibility for the treatment for the disease can be best diagnosed by the specialist doctor. It is therefore advised that the patient consults the doctor before undergoing any specific treatment. Doctors on examining the conditions shall decide the eligibility for the treatment.

Every woman who is pregnant is eligible for the treatment. There has been no such case where the pregnant woman has been considered not eligible for the treatment. Mostly women who have experienced un-routine pregnancies in the past and mothers with chronic health conditions are given extra special care so that during the gestation period they do not develop any further complications so that they and their unborn babies are safe until delivery. In conditions where the pregnant woman has complicated health conditions, before maternal-fetal medicine treatment is started, all tests are done to get fully aware of the conditions of the mother's body.

There are no such side effects of the maternal-fetal medicine treatment since it is not much of a treatment but more of a continuous observation and protection process. But during this process, the tests and procedures may sometimes become cumbersome for the pregnant mother. There are certain risks associated with the process of fetal ultrasound. These risks are – mild discomfort may be caused to the mother from the transducer on the abdomen or the vagina that is used to picture the fetus and if the pregnant woman has latex allergy then their body may react to the latex covering for the transducer. But apart from these mild problems, usually there are no other side effects associated with maternal-fetal medicine.

In maternal-fetal medicine, the treatment ends with the delivery of the baby and then proper care of the mother until she is in the facility center which is not for long. After this, both the mother and the baby are allowed to go home if they are in good conditions and without any complications. But if the baby is not found to have a normal health then the baby has to be further treated which will not fall under maternal-fetal medicine.

Once the delivery is over, if the mother and the baby both are in good conditions then they are allowed to go home. Usually, in a normal delivery, a few hours after the delivery, the mother is back to the normal condition. But it is recommended by the gynecologists that the mother should be under rest at least for a few weeks before she gets back to the normal routine. As for the baby, care and protection have to be given after birth and proper vaccination should be given to the new-born baby. Therefore, there is no such recovery time for the maternal-fetal medicine.

In India, due to the extremely high population, and people not being able to afford maternal-fetal medicine has made this treatment not so popular yet. But the big cities have clinics, especially for maternal-fetal medicine. The cost of this treatment depends on the clinic and the maternal-fetal medicine specialist. There is a consultation fee of the doctors that depends on the clinic and the doctors and may range from a 600 hundred to 3000 thousands. Then the cost of the procedures and tests also depend on the clinic where the test is being done.

Maternal-fetal medicine is not much of a treatment but more of continuous observations and protection process for the pregnant mother and the fetus. Those women who go through complicated pregnancies need this treatment more than the others. When we come to the results of the treatment, if we say that the treatment has been successful that would mean that the baby has been delivered successfully and after delivery both the mother and the baby are safe. Well, the birth of a fully healthy baby is a permanent result and therefore we can consider the results of maternal-fetal medicine to be permanent.

There are no such alternatives to maternal-fetal medicine because this care is needed by every mother and their unborn baby. But research is being done to develop more innovative and better methods to provide this treatment. Women with complicated pregnancies must be properly managed and should be given the best care and this is what is under research. The development will surely reduce the cost of the treatment so that more people can afford it. Thus, maternal-fetal medicine is an essential part of pregnancy treatment and should be opted by all pregnant women to give themselves and their unborn babies the best care and protection.