Fetal therapy is the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities and treatment of the fetus before birth. Fetal treatments have been found to help many abnormalities once considered untreatable or only treatable after birth, such as spina bifida and tumors. Fetal therapy may not only save the life of the fetus, but it can also dramatically improve the abnormality. In many cases, fetal therapy improves the child's long-term quality of life.

The Fetal Care Center's fetal therapy program begins with very accurate diagnoses. Due to the complexities of the abnormalities, as many as 30 percent of patients are referred to fetal therapy centers with an incomplete or incorrect diagnosis. Once the correct diagnosis has been made, our team of maternal-fetal experts informs the mother and her family about all treatment options. Non-directive counseling and support are an important part of our program.

soon as a diagnosis is established, fetal therapy can begin or may occur at any point during the pregnancy.

Fetal therapy has successfully corrected such conditions as spina bifida, tumors, diaphragmatic hernia, urinary obstruction and others. We evaluate, diagnose and treat many conditions. Our interdisciplinary team of maternal-fetal specialists offers non-directive counseling to patients and families. This means we provide you with all of the information and options available so that you can make a knowledgeable decision on your own.

Upon delivery or prior to delivery, the mixing of maternal and fetal blood may occur. This may cause an Rh-negative woman carrying an Rh-positive baby to develop antibodies against the "foreign" positive antigen (D) she does not have but the baby possesses. They found this can be prevented by immunizing the women by administering Rhogam (RhIG) before (36 weeks) and after delivery. However, guess what? More math is involved.

Beta blocker medications are the mainstay of therapy for most patients with the long QT syndrome. These medications are effective in about 90 % of affected subjects. However, a new study (Association of Long QT Syndrome Loci and Cardiac Events Among Patients Treated With Beta Blockers: JAMA. 2004;292:1341-1344) shows that among treated patients with LQT2 and LQT3 genotypes, there still is a high rate of cardiac events.

Tennessee Right to Life is not opposed to research conducted on fetal tissue resulting from spontaneous abortions (miscarriages, eptopic pregnancies). In all other cases this type of research denies the personhood of the unborn child, while acknowledging that their tissue is useful precisely because it is human. Fetal tissue research in effect says to the unborn, "you can be useful to society, you just can't be a member of it."

True fetal distress is rare, and only a handful of cesareans are done for fetal distress. One study indicates that fetal distress only occurs in 1.5% of all VBAC attempts (Finley, Gibbs), while another showed that of mothers who had a primary cesarean for fetal distress, the second labor had 3% of those mothers with fetal distress (Paul, Phelan, Yeh). This brings us to fetal monitoring.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is one of a number of birth defects that falls under Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. These birth defects are caused when the mother drinks during her pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, 40,000 babies are born each year with some degree of "alcohol-related damage." Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the most common known cause of mental retardation, and it is the only cause that is entirely preventable.

A fetal echocardiogram uses ultrasound, or high-frequency sound waves, to look at the heart and major blood vessels of the fetus.

After the procedure, the ultrasound gel will be wiped off your abdomen. The sonographer will, in general, not provide you with any results, so that the doctor can properly review the videotape the images.

During late pregnancy and during labor, your physician may want to monitor the fetal heart rate and other functions. Fetal heart rate monitoring is a method of checking the rate and rhythm of the fetal heartbeat. The average fetal heart rate is between 110 and 160 beats per minute. The fetal heart rate may change as the fetus responds to conditions in the uterus. An abnormal fetal heart rate or pattern may mean that the fetus is not getting enough oxygen or there are other problems.

A Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist is an obstetrician/gynecologist who has received 2-3 years of additional education and practical experience to gain special competence in various obstetrical, medical and surgical complications of pregnancy. By virtue of this training and technical proficiency, he/she provides care or consultation for both mother and fetus in a complicated pregnancy.

Maintenance or supportive periodontal therapy is an ongoing program designed to prevent periodontal disease from recurring in patients who have undergone periodontal treatment. This ongoing phase of treatment will allow your periodontist to assess your periodontal health and make sure infection stays under control. During maintenance therapy, your mouth is examined, new calculus and plaque are removed, and, if necessary your teeth are polished and your bite is checked.

Destination Therapy" or permanent support is a new treatment option for patients with end-stage heart failure* ... The HeartMate eXtended Lead Vented Electric (XVE) LVAD is an enhanced version of the HeartMate SNAP-VE (Sutures Not Applied) device approved in November 2002 for use for Destination Therapy, or permanent support for end-stage heart failure patients (ESHF) who are not eligible for cardiac transplantation.

Not necessarily; the experience should match the treatment goals. Be open and let the therapist know how you are feeling and your treatment will be a lot more enjoyable and productive. If at any time the treatment you are receiving is causing you too much discomfort, tell your therapist and they will stop or ease off. The old adage "no pain no gain" is not relevant to massage therapy treatments you receive.

No. Nobody is ever asked to ‘confess’ or made to feel embarrassed. In fact, you don’t have to say a single word!

Massage therapy is a comprehensive intervention involving a range of techniques to manipulate the soft tissues and joints of the body. The purpose of massage therapy is to prevent, develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function or relieve pain. (Massage Therapy Act, 1991)

Your doctor may refer you to a Hand Therapist for a prescribed rehabilitation program. Our staff, which is composed of specially trained Occupational and Physical Therapists, will supervise you to assure that your hand or arm does not have signs of complications such as inflammation or undue swelling, and that it is healing well, an important factor that leads to a rapid return of function.

Some patients will need to continue with home exercises. Some may choose to continue with a gym exercise program. Others will complete their rehabilitation and return to normal daily activities. It is important that you communicate your goals to your therapist, so he/she can develop a custom program for you.

In medicine, standard therapy is a treatment that experts agree is accepted, appropriate and widely used. Healthcare providers are obligated to provide patients with standard therapy. The terms standard of care or best practice are also used.

Adjuvant means "in addition to." In breast cancer, this means that in addition to your primary treatment, another therapy is being used. The reason for this is that after surgery, a small number of cancer cells may remain in your body. These cells can continue to multiply. Adjuvant therapy is given to prevent or delay these cells from multiplying. Cytotoxic chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal treatment are three common forms of adjuvant treatment.

Treatment techniques implemented by The Right Step help balance, muscle tone, posture, mobility, coordination, sensory registration, modulation of behavior, attention, and homeostasis for improved functioning in everyday life routines.

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. (American Music Therapy Association definition, 2005)

The letters stand for transurethral needle ablation. It is a proven, minimally invasive, office based procedure that destroys excess prostate tissue, which may improve urination. It uses radio frequency energy delivered directly to the prostate.

Radiation is a special kind of energy carried by waves or a stream of particles. It can come from special machines or from radioactive substances. When radiation is used at high doses (many times those used for x-ray exams), it can treat cancer and other illnesses. Special equipment is used to aim the radiation at tumors or areas of the body where there is disease. The use of high-energy rays or particles to treat disease is called radiation therapy.

This is actually more of an insurance question. If your carrier will approve an in-home therapy program, we will be happy to give you a prescription for in-home therapy. Otherwise, you will need to visit a physical therapy office for your treatments. The home care department can help you evaluate your insurance coverage for therapy before you leave the hospital.