As a regional referral center for high-risk pregnancies, Central Baptist Hospital offers specialized care to pregnant women.

Our perinatal services include diagnostic services, a special unit for women who need to be hospitalized during pregnancy, education for pregnant women with diabetes and home health services.

Find out more information about pregnancy and childbirth and answers to pregnancy and parenting questions by visiting Baby Steps.

Perinatal Diagnostic Services

Expectant mothers want to give their babies the very best possible start in life. For this reason, your doctor may recommend special tests to take a look at the growing life inside you. Central Baptist Hospital offers ultrasound to help your doctor determine:

• how far along you are in your pregnancy;
• if you are going to have more than one baby;
• if your baby has any major health problems and is growing properly; and
• the position of the placenta, which can affect whether or not a vaginal delivery is safe.

We also offer amniocentesis, a simple procedure which withdraws amniotic fluid from around the growing fetus through a slender needle. Your doctor may recommend amniocentesis for many reasons, including:

• if your baby is at risk for certain types of birth defects such as Down syndrome, spina bifida or anencephaly;
• to determine if the baby's lungs are mature enough for delivery;
• if he or she suspects you have an infection; or
• there is maternal blood sensitization (usually Rh sensitization) to make sure the baby is developing normally.

Although most pregnancies proceed with very few problems for the full 37 to 41 weeks, a few do not. Our perinatal diagnostic center's physician specialists in maternal fetal medicine provide care and expertise if complications of pregnancy arise. For a list of perinatologists who have active privileges with the hospital, click here.

Groundbreaking Research Offers New Hope to Women, Families in High Risk Pregnancies

In April 2000 the first child in the United States to receive a new chance at life as the result of an extraordinary new procedure was born healthy and normal at Central Baptist Hospital. Developed by CBH perinatologist Dr. John O'Brien, the technique, known as embolization, may ultimately prove to be one of the most effective methods yet for extending pregnancy after an early breach in the uterine membrane, one of the most common causes of premature birth and its associated complications.

The presence of an optimal amount of amniotic fluid in the uterus is crucial to the development of a fetus and to a mother's ability to carry a child to term. When a break in the uterus inner-wall occurs prior to full gestation, severe disabilities or even early termination of the pregnancy may result. Should the membrane be breached during the first 21 weeks of pregnancy, the child's chances of survival are only 10 to 15 percent, at best. Currently, there is no consistent, effective treatment for combating this condition.

This procedure is able to reintroduce amniotic fluid into the womb after an early rupture and most importantly, seals the uterus to prevent further leakage. Embolization draws upon a well-established strategy for combating arterial bleeding and adapts it for use in the amniotic sac. A great deal of study remains to be done. Dr. O'Brien and his team are hoping to amass data on at least 10 separate test cases before announcing any definitive conclusion.

Candidates for emoblization must meet a specific set of criteria. The procedure must be performed before the 21st week of pregnancy and only after patients have been educated and have carefully evaluated the risk and potential benefit. While there is at least one reported case of a physician utilizing a Gel-Foam Embolization prior to a membrane rupture, the procedure performed at Central Baptist is, to the best of the knowledge of Dr. O'Brien and his colleagues, the first time embolization has been successfully employed to repair a uterine breach after the fact.

Perinatal Unit

Central Baptist Hospital's perinatal unit is designed to care for women with high-risk pregnancies who need to be hospitalized. Our highly skilled nurses are trained to recognize and respond to obstetrical emergencies. The unit is equipped with continuous electronic fetal monitoring and Watch Child® central surveillance.

Home Health Care

Central Baptist Hospital Home Health Care offers services to help your doctor manage pregnancy complications in the comfort of your home.

"Life with Diabetes" Program

Central Baptist Hospital's "Life with Diabetes" program provides education to women with diabetes who are planning a pregnancy or who are pregnant already and to women with gestational diabetes. The goal of the program is to help pregnant women with diabetes achieve healthy pregnancy outcomes.

Genetic Counseling Center

Central Baptist Hospital's Genetic Counseling Center provides counseling for anyone concerned about passing along an inherited disease. A counselor can help you better understand your chances of giving birth to a child with a birth defect or genetic condition and help plan for the care of a child born with a birth defect or other health problem.

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