Maternal-Fetal Medicine and The Emory Perinatal Center

MARTINA BADELL, MD AND THE EMORY PERINATAL CENTER ARE EXPANDING ACCESS TO MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE AT EMORY UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MIDTOWN

Hearing the term “high-risk” can be scary for most pregnant women. For pregnant women who may fall into this category, this merely means that your medical history (including conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, advanced maternal age or high blood pressure), difficulties in a prior pregnancy, fetal abnormality in this pregnancy, or a pregnancy with more than one baby, necessitates a need to be monitored more closely to ensure the health of you and your baby. 

While advanced age or multiple pregnancies may have you need to meet with a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, you can seek the services of a perinatologist even before you become pregnant. For example, if you know you have heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, seizure disorders, blood clotting disorders, or infections such as HIV, you can consult with an MFM physician to work in partnership with your obstetrician, family doctor, or midwife to co-manage your care. 

Established more than 25 years ago, the Maternal-Fetal Medicine division at Emory was one of the first specialty units in the country. Today the division provides services at two state-of-the-art perinatal centers: Emory Perinatal Center at Emory University Hospital Midtown, and Emory Regional Perinatal Center at Grady Health System, which is one of six regional high-risk infant care centers in the state. Martina Badell, MD is the Director of The Emory Perinatal Center and works with her colleagues Iris Krishna, MD, MPH, and Marissa Platner, MD to provide care for high-risk pregnancies that present at EUHM.  The Emory Perinatal Center is completing an expansion that will see the clinic move to the 15th floor and expand its’ clinical footprint. 

“We are thrilled to be moving into our new expanded space.  It is our privilege to care for women during their pregnancy and our expertise allows us to focus on health concerns of the mother and her baby.  We help manage pregnancies using detailed ultrasounds, diagnostic procedures, if indicated, and enjoy counseling families on management plans during pregnancy.” Martina Badell, MD

The team provides perinatal services, including:

• Checking for genetic disorders with tests such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
• Diagnoses and management of congenital disorders, heart problems, and blood disorders in developing babies
• Identifying risks and providing recommendations for future pregnancies
• Pre-conception counseling and genetic counseling for women with medical problems that could affect pregnancy.
• Management of pregnancy complicated by conditions such as diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, cardiopulmonary conditions, or infectious diseases.
• State-of-the-art ultrasound examinations, including 3D and 4D if indicated
• First and second-trimester diagnosis of fetal chromosomal problems using cell-free fetal DNA, CVS, and amniocentesis.
• Diagnosis of and treatment plan for fetal or placental anomalies.
• Management of multiple pregnancies, twins and above.
• Management of pregnancies in women of advanced maternal age (women older than 35).
• Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) for high-risk newborns.

Location

The Emory Perinatal Center is located on the fifteenth floor of Emory University Hospital Midtown Medical Office Tower, 550 Peachtree Street. Emory University Hospital Midtown is also home to an outstanding Maternity Center, which includes a newborn nursery.