Maternal-fetal care
Maternal-fetal practitioners care for you during pregnancy, labor and after birth. Their priority is ensuring you and your baby are as healthy as possible throughout the entire experience. They also provide specialized high-risk care as well, should you need it.
Maternal fetal medicine in Denver
From the moment we meet, you'll experience our dedication to you and your baby.
At HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's at Presbyterian St. Luke's, our perinatologists have provided high-quality care for expecting mothers in our Center for Maternal/Fetal Health since 1979. Today, we continue that care in our Level IV Maternal Care Program and Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – all under the same roof.
Expert advice, available 24/7
Free health-related advice is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Free health-related advice is just a phone call away. Our nurses help you understand your symptoms, treatment options and procedures. They will also help you find a provider or specialist and schedule an appointment.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
Maternal fetal conditions we treat
Our team of neonatologists and expert surgeons care for many conditions that may affect your baby, including conditions diagnosed both prenatally and postnatally. We care for gastrointestinal, heart, kidney, orthopedic, neurological and urologic conditions, including:
- Anorectal malformations
- Aortic stenosis
- Atrial septal defect
- Atrioventricular canal
- Brachial plexus palsy
- Bronchogenic cysts
- Cardiomyopathy
- Chest deformity
- Chiari malformation
- Cleft lip
- Cleft palate
- Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia
- Congenital ear abnormalities
- Congenital nasal abnormalities
- Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)
- Craniofacial congenital abnormalities
- Craniosynostosis
- Dandy-Walker syndrome
- Down syndrome
- Duodenal atresia
- Eisenmenger syndrome
- Esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula
- Facial fractures
- Facial paralysis
- Gastroschisis
- Genetic conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Hirschsprung's disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
- Infantile spasms
- Intestinal atresia
- Jaw deformities
- Major skin, soft tissue abnormalities
- Marfan syndrome
- Midface hypoplasia
- Omphalocele
- Patent ductus arteriosus
- Pericarditis
- Plagiocephaly
- Pulmonary atresia
- Pulmonary sequestration
- Pulmonary stenosis
- Skin lesions
- Pigmented nevi
- Hemangiomas
- Lymphangiomas
- Spasticity
- Spina bifida
- Tetralogy of Fallot
- Total anomalous pulmonary venous return
- Transposition of the great arteries
- Traumatic ear abnormalities
- Traumatic nasal abnormalities
- Tricuspid atresia
- Trisomy 21
- Truncus arteriosus
- Turner syndrome
- Tumors of the head and neck
- Tumors of the trunk and extremities
- Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
- Ventricular septal defects
Our perinatology services
Our extensive maternal fetal care program means we are trained to provide the highest level of care for even some of the rarest congenital conditions.
Our Center for Maternal/Fetal Health
Our hospital is home to the most experienced team of maternal fetal specialists in our region. Our multidisciplinary team specializes in the treatment of fetal and neonatal conditions and has treated patients who have traveled from a seven-state region to obtain care for high-risk pregnancies.
We collaborate with Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center to provide fully integrated care for you and your baby. This superior care has even led our sister hospital to be recognized in the top five percent across the nation for labor and delivery.
High-risk pregnancy and childbirth care
At our Center for Maternal/Fetal Health, our perinatologists (also called high-risk pregnancy doctors) can manage a wide range of conditions and are ready to help ensure you have a safe delivery. These highly skilled physicians are even able to treat some conditions before your baby is born through highly specialized, fetal and neonatal interventional care, such as:
- Fetoscopic surgery
- Fetal surgery for myelomeningocele for severe spina bifida
- Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for the treatment of severe twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)
- Fetoscopic bipolar cord coagulation (BCC)
- Fetoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
- Ultrasound-guided fetal interventions
- Ultrasound-guided bladder and amniotic shunt placement
- Ultrasound-guided intrafetal radiofrequency ablation
- Other fetal interventions that include EXIT procedures for the delivery of babies with a compromised airway due to a variety of causes
Placenta accreta treatment center
Placenta accreta spectrum disorder refers to a range of high-risk pregnancy conditions that occur when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall. The rare condition affects only an estimated 0.2 percent of pregnancies, but its complications can be severe.
Those at risk of developing placenta accreta include women who have had previous Cesarean sections, have an abnormal position of the placenta (i.e., placenta previa), are 35 years old or older, have had previous uterine surgeries and/or have received in vitro fertilization.
Our Placenta Accreta Center of Excellence is a regional leader in diagnosing, treating, and following up care of placenta accreta spectrum patients. Our comprehensive program includes:
- Specialized, highly experienced maternal fetal medicine physicians
- Multidisciplinary diagnosis and care through the collaboration of gynecologic oncologists, maternal fetal medicine specialists, neonatologists, interventional radiologists, neonatal nurse navigators and clinical health psychologists
- Highly personalized care provided through an attending-only model
- The region’s only Level IV Maternal Fetal Program located on the same site as its Level IV NICU
- A hybrid operating room where maternal fetal medicine specialists, gynecologic oncologists and interventional radiologists perform collaborative procedures
- Psychological support before, during and after birth
- Ongoing social/emotional support, including online support groups and nurse navigation
Our center is unique as we can support the highest level of care for mom and baby under one roof. Additionally, our maternal/fetal specialists are not only experts in the field but also passionate about providing advanced, high-quality treatments with a comprehensive, compassionate care system.
To learn more about our placenta accreta program, contact a nurse navigator at (720) 754-7642.
Level IV NICU
Our maternal fetal health program offers the highest level of care available in the region for babies that need the most intensive medical attention after birth. Our 84-bed, Level IV NICU has a team of compassionate, accomplished support staff and board-certified neonatal surgeons, pediatric surgeons and specialists who are active in private practice and highly experienced in their fields.
Care for complex fetal conditions
Our multidisciplinary team is uniquely equipped with expertise and the latest technology. This enables us to be able to handle all aspects of a safe pregnancy and delivery as well as provide pediatric surgery post-delivery for babies diagnosed with rare and complex conditions, this includes:
Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation care (CCAM)
CCAM is the most common type of fetal lung lesion. Babies who undergo CCAM treatment or surgery usually see no negative long-term effects. Because the lungs continue to grow as the child ages, even one that required surgery after birth has little impact while the lungs develop to their normal size.
Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) care
This complex condition occurs when twins who share a placenta are connected through a network of abnormal blood vessels that cause them to share blood unequally. Our team will work with you to create a plan of treatment that takes into consideration the TTTS stages, progression of the condition, the babies’ gestational age and your wishes.
Some of the treatments we offer include:
- Serial amniocentesis
- Amniotic septostomy
- Selective cord coagulation
Our team will explain all possible treatment options and what risks each carries. Support is available at every step of the diagnosis and treatment process.
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) care
CDH is a birth abnormality in which the diaphragm does not form properly. Babies who have been diagnosed with CDH are carefully monitored during pregnancy and a plan for delivery is arranged at a specialized facility, such as our hospital. Our surgeons use a minimally invasive thoracoscopic approach to move the displaced organs back to the abdomen and repair the hole.
Fetal hydrocephalus care
Hydrocephalus is caused by the widening of spaces in the brain (ventricles). Excess cerebrospinal fluid can lead to harmful pressure on the brain tissue.
During pregnancy, the main treatment method for fetal hydrocephalus is careful observation. Your maternal-fetal physician will closely monitor your baby for signs of distress, and they will talk with you about an early delivery. If needed, your baby can receive care in our Level IV NICU and our physicians will work with you to decide what type of treatment to pursue.
Our multidisciplinary team approach
We have a wide range of specialists who work together to provide the best care for high-risk mothers and babies. Our physicians are highly trained and board certified in their fields and are regarded as among the best in the world.
Our specialized physicians
We employ a truly multidisciplinary team approach to maternal fetal medicine. Because of this, you may have any of the following types of specialists as part of your care team:
- Fetal interventionists
- Maternal fetal specialists
- Neonatologists
- Pediatric surgeons
- Pediatric cardiologists
- Pediatric cardiac surgeons
- Pediatric neurosurgeons
- Pediatric neurologists
- Pediatric orthopedic specialists
- Pediatric urologists
Our maternal fetal medicine specialists in Denver have been managing high-risk pregnancies for more than 30 years, longer than anyone else in the region. Our physicians founded our Center for Maternal/Fetal Health, who have delivered more than 55,000 high-risk babies. Few teams in the country have that kind of expertise.
Our comprehensive maternal fetal support team
Additionally, we also have a dedicated, compassionate and highly experienced support team that includes:
- Neonatal nurse navigator
- Pediatric nurse navigator
- Genetic counselor
- Clinical health psychologist
Our patient navigators offer personalized care coordination to ensure you have a seamless patient experience. They help coordinate multidisciplinary consultations and provide individualized education and support.