Perinatology (High-Risk Pregnancy) Department

The Perinatology unit, also known as maternal–fetal medicine, is the part of the network dedicated to pregnancies that need extra care — those in which the mother’s health, the baby’s development or the course of the pregnancy carries a higher risk. It brings together perinatologists (obstetricians with advanced training in high-risk pregnancy), specialists in detailed fetal ultrasound, neonatal teams and the wider obstetric and medical specialties, so that mother and baby are cared for together by one coordinated team. For an international patient, the unit is the place to turn for a pregnancy complicated by a maternal condition, a concern about the baby’s development, a multiple pregnancy, or a previous difficult pregnancy — and the team that can review such cases remotely before any travel.

What the perinatology unit does

Perinatology is the field of obstetrics that focuses on higher-risk pregnancies and on the wellbeing of the baby before birth. Most pregnancies are straightforward, but some carry additional risk — because of the mother’s health, the baby’s development, or complications that arise along the way — and these benefit from specialist care. The unit’s role is to monitor such pregnancies closely, to detect and manage problems early, and to plan the timing and manner of birth so that both mother and baby are as safe as possible.

A defining feature of the unit is the combination of advanced fetal assessment with multidisciplinary care of the mother. Detailed ultrasound and other tests allow the baby’s growth and wellbeing to be followed closely and many conditions to be detected before birth, while the mother’s own health is managed alongside the relevant medical specialties. Caring for the two together — and planning carefully for delivery and for the newborn — is what the unit does, and it is best delivered where obstetrics, neonatal care and the wider specialties already work side by side.

What the perinatology unit cares for

The unit cares for a range of higher-risk situations, including:

• Maternal medical conditions in pregnancy — such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart, kidney, autoimmune or other conditions — managed with the relevant specialties.
• Pregnancy complications, including pre-eclampsia, growth problems and others that need close monitoring.
• Concerns about the baby’s growth or wellbeing, followed with specialist ultrasound and monitoring.
• Multiple pregnancies (twins or more), which need extra surveillance.
• Conditions detected before birth, where detailed assessment guides planning and care.
• Previous difficult pregnancies or losses, where specialist care and reassurance are valuable in a new pregnancy.
• Pre-pregnancy advice for women with medical conditions who are planning to conceive.

In each case, the aim is to follow the pregnancy closely, manage risk, and plan for a safe birth.

Assessment and monitoring

Perinatal care is built on careful, repeated assessment. Detailed (specialist) ultrasound examines the baby’s anatomy, growth and wellbeing, and Doppler studies assess blood flow to the baby. Where appropriate, the unit provides advice on screening and diagnostic tests during pregnancy, in partnership with the medical genetics team for the interpretation of results. The mother’s health is monitored with the relevant tests and, where she has a medical condition, alongside the specialty that manages it. As pregnancy advances, fetal monitoring follows the baby’s wellbeing, informing decisions about the safest timing and method of birth. Throughout, assessment is used not to alarm but to plan — to know what to expect and to be prepared.

Care and management

The unit’s care includes:

• Close monitoring of higher-risk pregnancies with specialist ultrasound and fetal surveillance.
• Management of maternal conditions in pregnancy, coordinated with cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology, rheumatology and other specialties as needed.
• Management of pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure and growth problems.
• Care of multiple pregnancies, with the additional surveillance they require.
• Planning for birth — the timing, place and method most likely to be safe for mother and baby.
• Coordination with the neonatal team so that, if the baby may need extra care after birth, everything is prepared in advance.

The emphasis throughout is on anticipating needs and planning ahead, so that birth happens under the safest possible conditions.

The multidisciplinary team

High-risk pregnancy is, by its nature, multidisciplinary. The unit works with cardiology, endocrinology, nephrology, rheumatology and other specialties to manage maternal conditions; with medical genetics for the interpretation of prenatal screening and diagnosis; and, crucially, with the neonatal (newborn) intensive care team, so that the baby’s care is planned before birth where needed. Within the unit, perinatologists, specialist sonographers, midwives and nurses experienced in high-risk care, and coordinators for international patients, work together. This close teamwork is what allows mother and baby to be cared for as one.

Technology and facilities

The unit is built around advanced ultrasound equipment for detailed fetal assessment and Doppler studies, fetal monitoring, and the obstetric and neonatal facilities — including newborn intensive care — that high-risk birth may require. As throughout the network, this is operated by experienced teams and maintained to strict standards, which is what makes close, dependable care of mother and baby possible.

What to expect as an international patient

Care in pregnancy across borders needs particular planning, and the unit is structured to provide it. Your situation is first reviewed remotely from your existing scans, test results and medical history, so the team can advise what care is needed, the right timing for any visit, and what to arrange. Because timing matters so much in pregnancy, the unit and your international patient coordinator pay special attention to planning — when to travel, how long to stay, and how care will be coordinated with your doctors at home before and after. An international patient coordinator remains your single point of contact, helping with scheduling, language and the practical side of your stay, and ensuring every specialty your care involves is engaged.

Remote review before you travel

You do not need to travel to begin. By sharing your scans, test results and medical history, you can have a perinatologist review your pregnancy remotely, advise whether and when specialist care or travel is needed, and outline the likely plan, timeline and cost. Because pregnancy is time-sensitive, this early review is especially valuable for planning safely. A remote second opinion is also available if you would like an expert view on a finding or on a recommended plan.

Quality and standards

Caring for two patients at once demands particular rigour, and the unit works to defined clinical protocols, draws on accredited imaging and laboratory services, and contributes to the hospital’s overall safety systems, supported by neonatal intensive care for the newborn. Accreditation such as JCI applies at hospital level and reflects how well these systems work across its units. When considering care, it is reasonable to ask about the unit’s experience with your particular situation and how birth and newborn care are planned; an experienced perinatal team will be glad to discuss this.

Planning the timing of travel and birth

In pregnancy, timing is everything, and the unit gives it particular thought for international patients. Because how far a pregnancy has progressed affects both what travel is advisable and what care is needed, the team plans carefully around it: when a visit is most useful, how long to stay, and — where birth itself is planned here — the safest timing and arrangements for mother and baby. Airlines and the pregnancy itself place limits on travel, especially later on, so the unit advises on whether and when a journey is sensible and how to make it safely, taking the individual pregnancy into account. Just as important is coordination with the patient’s own doctors: the unit works to keep the home obstetrician involved before and after any visit, sharing scans, results and the plan, so that care is continuous rather than fragmented across countries. Where the baby may need extra support after birth, the neonatal team is involved in planning ahead. The aim throughout is that nothing about a higher-risk pregnancy is left to chance: the right care at the right time, with travel and birth planned around the safety of mother and baby. For families facing a complicated pregnancy far from home, this careful, anticipatory planning is often the most reassuring part of specialist perinatal care.

This page is for general information and does not constitute medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment recommendation. The units and services available vary between hospitals in the network; please confirm details for the unit proposed for your care, and always consult a qualified clinician about your situation.