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Riley Children's Health

Prenatal Diagnosis Program

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A baby born in good health may be the most universal of all wishes among expectant parents. When mothers have good prenatal care, they give their unborn children their best chance for a lifetime of optimal health and early support for conditions that require specialized care during pregnancy and after birth. Pregnancy begins with prenatal screening, and for some families, prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling.

Understanding Prenatal Tests

Understanding Prenatal Tests

Prenatal tests are done for various reasons. Some tests occur at the start of your pregnancy to evaluate your health, but they do not provide any information about your baby. Most of these routine lab tests screen for infectious or sexually transmitted diseases or pre-existing conditions that could make yours a high-risk pregnancy. You and your doctor can take protective steps when you know these risk factors early. Examples of routine tests your obstetrician may order are:

  • Blood type
  • Complete blood count
  • Hepatitis B and hepatitis C
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • Rubella
  • Sexually transmitted disease (STD)
  • Tuberculosis
  • Urinalysis
  • Urine culture

Another type of prenatal testing is genetic screening, which checks for conditions that could affect the health of your unborn child. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, all pregnant women should be offered prenatal genetic screening. These tests are often painless and pose no risk to you or your child. The most common prenatal tests used for genetic screening are:

  • Cell-free fetal DNA test for Down syndrome, Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13
  • Carrier screening for cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, sickle cell anemia and other conditions
  • Maternal serum AFP for open neural tube defects, such as spina bifida
  • Ultrasound

Although a prenatal screening test can suggest a health condition in your unborn child, only more advanced testing can confirm it. Prenatal diagnostic tests are a higher tier of tests designed to pinpoint specific health concerns. For example:

  • Chorionic villus sampling takes cells from the placenta and analyzes the chromosomes or DNA to confirm certain genetic conditions in the baby.
  • Amniocentesis analyzes amniotic fluid to diagnose certain genetic conditions and confirm brain or spinal cord defects.
  • Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling analyzes a sample of your unborn baby’s blood to identify fetal anemia.

These tests tend to be more invasive, so they carry a slight risk to your unborn child. Our genetic counselors are available to explain the risks, benefits and limitations of these testing options.

Who should consider diagnostic genetic testing?

  • Partners who have a family history of a birth defect or genetic condition
  • If you are 35 or older at the time of delivery
  • If you receive an abnormal serum screening that suggests certain birth defects

The Prenatal Diagnosis Program at Riley at IU Health offers highly skilled specialists in prenatal diagnosis. Our experts can help:

  • Manage your pregnancy
  • Determine the likely outcome of your pregnancy
  • Plan for possible birth complications
  • Anticipate health problems in your newborn
  • Identify conditions that have implications for future pregnancies

Maternal-fetal physicians and genetic counselors evaluate pregnancies where babies may be at risk for birth defects or health conditions. Our specialists use the latest screening and diagnostic tests to detect areas of concern. From the results, we can recommend plans for your pregnancy and delivery so you can make informed healthcare decisions. If you come to us through a referral from your obstetrician, we maintain an open line of communication to keep your physician informed.

Conditions & Services

Maternal Conditions

Common conditions we treat in mothers:

  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome
  • Chronic Hypertension
  • Gestational Hypertension

Our board certified, nationally known physicians use advanced research, diagnosis and treatments to care for you and your baby. Here are just a few of the conditions we treat:

  • Abdominal Wall Defects
  • Chromosomal Abnormalities
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Down Syndrome
  • Sickle Cell Disease
  • Spina Bifida

Services Offered

We offer a number of different Prenatal Diagnosis Program services. Below are some, but not all, of the services that we provide. If you have a question about a specific service that is not listed here, please contact our program.

  • Amniocentesis
  • Chorionic Villus Sampling
  • Prenatal Blood Tests
  • Prenatal Genetic Counseling
  • Prenatal Ultrasound

Doctors and Locations

Doctors

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Lauren J. Dungy-Poythress, MD profile image
Lauren J. Dungy-Poythress, MD

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(124 ratings)

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Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal & Fetal Medicine

317.944.7010
Sherrine A. Ibrahim, MD profile image
Sherrine A. Ibrahim, MD

4.8 out of 5 stars

(90 ratings)

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Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal & Fetal Medicine

317.944.7010
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Joseph B. Landwehr, MD

4.9 out of 5 stars

(273 ratings)

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Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal & Fetal Medicine

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Frank P. Schubert, MD profile image
Frank P. Schubert, MD

Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal & Fetal Medicine

317.944.7010
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Anthony L. Shanks, MD

Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maternal & Fetal Medicine

317.944.7010

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Related Programs & Departments

Related Programs & Departments

We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related programs & departments.

  • Adults with Congenital Heart Disease
  • Cardiovascular Genetics Program
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM)
  • Maternity & Newborn Health
  • Neonatology (NICU)
  • Newborn Follow-up Program
  • Reproductive Health Program for Adolescents & Young Adults with Congenital Heart Disease
  • Riley Heart Center

Health Professionals

For Health Professionals

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Research

Riley Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists use evidence-based techniques informed by research, including collaborative studies with the IU School of Medicine. Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists study a wide range of health problems, including research to identify new methods for detecting and treating women at risk for premature birth, which can increase the rate of infant mortality and give surviving children a higher risk of cardiovascular, lung and metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes later in life.

Education

Riley Maternity and Newborn Health at IU Health works with the Indiana University School of Medicine to provide three levels of medical training, including:

  • Medical students
  • Residents
  • Fellowships

We provide specialized training in prenatal diagnosis, labor and delivery, ultrasound imaging and high-risk or complicated pregnancies. All medical students, residents and fellows involved in training or care are fully supervised by experienced physicians at Riley at IU Health.

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Designated as Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Ranked in 10 Specialties in 2020-21

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