PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS AND GENETIC ADVICE UNIT

This Unit is responsible for monitoring pregnancies and births, be they normal or high-risk. It also provides advice on reproduction and includes prenatal diagnosis. GENETIC Advice ensures that that in cases where specific risk factors exist, such as personal and/or family history, age or other risks, a couple thinks about reproduction, wishing, logically, to rule out the possibility of risks for the mother and the foetus.

To do this, in some cases we give the parents a check-up which consists of a medical examination, cytogenetic and gynaecological tests as well as biochemical tests. By doing this it is possible to prevent chromosome diseases, neutral tube defects, metabolopothy, genetic illnesses, etc., calculating the likelihood of an irregularity arising in the foetus.

PRENATAL Diagnosis helps us to prevent chromosome anomalies, embryopathies, malformations in the foetus and congenital illnesses, using techniques such as chorionic biopsies, amniocentesis and funiculocentesis. These are all applied at the optimum moment during pregnancy.

We also consider alphafetoprotein and chorionic gonadotropin, etc. to be fundamental in the first few months of the pregnancy, ensuring the well-being of the foetus and the health of the pregnancy.

In order to see how well the foetus' organs are developing, including any possible malformations, we use high resolution abdominal and vaginal ultrasound from the earliest stages of the pregnancy. During the first three months we use vaginal ultrasound, and from weeks 12 to 14 onwards we use abdominal ultrasound, particularly between weeks 18 and 22.

In the latter period, we will pay attention above all to the degree of normality in the placenta, the position and biometrics of the foetus, as well as to possible irregularities in the umbilical cord and amniotic fluid.

To conclude, in the final stages of the pregnancy, tests on how well the placenta is working and cardiotocography will allow us to diagnose how healthy the foetus is in all pregnancies under the care of the RECOLETOS Clinic, before and during birth. During birth, a medical team made up of obstetricians, paediatricians, anaesthetists, a midwife and auxiliary staff will be present and will guarantee that the pregnancy ends with a healthy mother and child.