Patient Guide to Prenatal Diagnosis Center
When faced with problems during pregnancy, it's important to have expert care and options. At the Prenatal Diagnosis Center, we offer:
- National expertise: Our center is one of the nation's largest and most experienced providers of prenatal testing and diagnosis.
- High-risk pregnancy specialists: Our doctors include maternal-fetal medicine specialists. Maternal-fetal medicine specialists have advanced training to accurately diagnose and take care of women who are experiencing a high-risk, or complicated, pregnancy.
- Team approach: Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists partner with doctors and healthcare professionals from many fields of medicine at Cedars-Sinai to deliver the most specialized, well-rounded care.
- Full range of diagnostic options: We offer prenatal diagnosis services for individuals and couples who are either pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
- Prenatal testing: We provide prenatal testing for both routine and high-risk pregnancies. Prenatal testing involves screening for problems with the pregnancy or baby and making any necessary diagnoses so treatment can begin as soon as possible.
- Genetic counseling: We offer genetic counseling to determine your risk of carrying certain genetic conditions and birth defects and passing them down to your baby.
Pregnancy Ultrasound
We offer different types of pregnancy ultrasound:
- Nuchal translucency test (first trimester ultrasound)
- Fetal anatomy survey
- Growth ultrasound (growth scan)
- Doppler assessment (fetal Doppler)
When Is Prenatal Testing Done?
Your personal and family health history can provide useful information about whether you'd benefit from prenatal testing. All patients should consider prenatal screening. We recommend more focused prenatal testing if you:
- Will be older than 35 on your due date, which increases your risk of pregnancy and delivery complications or your risk of having a baby with health issues
- Have a family history of genetic disorders or birth defects, such as Down syndrome or spina bifida
- Experienced pregnancy loss or infertility, including two or more miscarriages
- Are expecting more than one baby