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The Antenatal Testing Center at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center is home to the latest in medical technologies available to parents-to-be. It offers a full spectrum of antenatal testing devices and specialists to provide parents and providers with an accurate view of how the pregnancy is progressing, and a preview of complications that may arise, allowing the care team to develop a plan before the baby’s arrival.
The Center uses the following testing methods, depending on the patient’s particular situation and the health of the baby:
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Biophysical profile (BPP) assesses the overall health of the baby. A BPP is commonly done through ultrasonic technology to monitor the fetal heart.
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High-resolution ultrasound measures growth, identifies structural abnormalities or birth defects, measures amniotic fluid, determines the location and development of the placenta and establishes gestational age.
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Non-stress testing and fetal monitoring measures the baby’s heart performance under stress. This test helps identify if a baby is at risk for stillbirth during a vaginal birth.
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Doppler scans of the fetal heart detect and measure the fetal heart rate.
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Amniocentesis may be done if genetic defects are suspected to test for fetal lung maturity and to detect isoimmunization of Rh factor.
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Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) helps identify chromosomal problems or other genetic diseases, and can be performed earlier in pregnancy than an amniocentesis.
While amniocentesis and CVS tests carry a higher risk of miscarriage or other damage to the baby, they are both able to detect chromosomal and genetic anomalies with a great degree of accuracy.
Contact Us
To find out more about the team of excellent providers at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, visit the Meet the Team page to view a list of physicians and their educational and professional biographical information. To schedule an appointment or with any further questions, please call us at 602-406-3715.
