Diagnosing fetal conditions

Find a fetal care specialist

Delivering the best possible care for mothers and their developing babies starts with an accurate diagnosis. At the Center for Fetal Care, our team thoroughly evaluates you and your baby, to provide the best possible start to life.

We use the newest technologies for scans, securing detailed imaging of your baby. Genetic specialists at Advocate Children’s Hospital also offer testing and counseling for families who may have hereditary disorders. We combine test results to develop a complete diagnosis to guide treatment recommendations.

Find out more about our treatments and related services.

Comprehensive approach to evaluation and diagnosis

Whether you already have a diagnosis or need testing for a possible health problem, we’re ready to help. We work to establish a consultation plan and appointments with our team that meet your family’s needs. We can usually see you within 24 hours of your referral.

By meeting with our entire team, you benefit from our combined expertise, drawn from all areas of maternal and fetal, neonatal and pediatric care. We work together to understand your unique circumstances and answer all your questions.

Detecting problems early in pregnancy provides time to understand what’s going on, consider your options and think about your baby’s care. Our thorough process provides the information needed to create a plan for you and your baby through pregnancy, delivery and early childhood.

Learn more about:

Conditions we treat
What to expect during your appointments

Diagnostic imaging for fetal conditions

Our imaging team includes pediatric radiologists and imaging technicians who specialize in diagnosing pregnant women, babies in the womb and newborns. We have years of experience identifying the rarest, most complex conditions.

After technicians take the scans, our radiologists review and create reports for our fetal surgeons and specialists. These doctors review the results with you, answer your questions and discuss next steps.

The imaging you or your baby undergo depends on what information doctors are seeking. We offer a range of state-of-the-art technology designed to accommodate babies’ unique needs.

Even if you’ve had previous ultrasounds, we typically perform new scans to ensure we have the latest information. Ultrasounds use sound waves to create images, avoiding radiation exposure. High-resolution technology provides greater detail to show concerns even in early pregnancy.

Our skilled sonographers use 3D and 4D ultrasound for details that help us distinguish between possible diagnoses. With fetal Doppler and color Doppler ultrasound, we can check blood flow in the baby, the umbilical cord and the placenta.

Ultrasound technology can also produce moving images of your baby’s heart to show it pumping blood. We use fetal echocardiogram to check for any structural problems with the heart’s muscles, chambers or valves.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) also avoids radiation exposure, using powerful magnets and radio waves to create scans. MRI provides detailed images of your baby’s internal structures, even showing problems hidden by bone that other imaging might not pick up. Ultrafast technology uses a snapshot-like technique that is useful for babies moving around in the womb.

Computed tomography (CT) scanning uses X-rays (radiation) to produce detailed 3D images, particularly of bones. We recommend fetal CT scanning only in the second or third trimesters of pregnancy, after organs have developed. Even then, we use very low doses.

Other diagnostic tests for fetal conditions

We perform a variety of tests for more information to help us confirm a diagnosis and plan your care.

Amniocentesis is a needle procedure that samples the amniotic fluid surrounding your baby for testing or treatment. Using ultrasound guidance, we insert a narrow needle into your belly and into the amniotic sac (protective membrane for your baby). The amniotic fluid there contains cells, hormones and other substances from your baby, so we can run a wide range of tests:

Genetic testing to help diagnose conditions such as Down syndrome or spina bifida
Testing to see whether the baby’s lungs are mature enough, to help plan an early delivery
Diagnosis of infections or conditions such as anemia (low red blood cell count)

This test evaluates a sample of tissue from the placenta for signs of genetic disorders such as Down syndrome and cystic fibrosis. Using ultrasound for guidance, we perform CVS using either a:

Narrow needle inserted into your belly
Thin tube inserted through your cervix into your uterus

In an ultrasound-guided needle procedure, we take a tiny sample of your baby’s blood. Testing it can show oxygen levels and check for signs of infections, genetic disorders or anemia.

Fetoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that we use to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions in developing babies. Using ultrasound guidance, our fetal surgeons insert a thin scope (flexible tube with a camera and light) through a small belly incision. We can examine your baby, the placenta, the umbilical cord and other structures inside your womb.

We can analyze samples of amniotic fluid and placenta tissue, taken during amniocentesis and CVS, for signs of genetic disorders. Microarray analysis can test for many more types of genetic disorders than amniocentesis or CVS alone.

Our genetic specialists provide consultation and testing to help you understand your family’s risk of developing genetic disorders. We provide information about genetic disorders and support in making decisions about your family’s care. Find out more about our genetics program.