401072 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Fetal Surgery, Obstetrics, Pediatrics
Document Summary
Maternal fetal medicine (mfm) (also known as perinatology) is a branch of medicine that focuses on managing health concerns of the mother and fetus prior to, during, and shortly after pregnancy. Their training typically includes a four- year residency in obstetrics and gynaecology followed by a three-year fellowship. They may perform prenatal tests, provide treatments, and perform surgeries . They act both as a consultant during lower-risk pregnancies and as the primary obstetrician in especially high-risk pregnancies. After birth, they may work closely with paediatricians or neonatologists . For the mother, perinatologists assist with pre existing health concerns, as well as complications caused by pregnancy. Maternal fetal medicine began to emerge as a discipline in the 1960s. Advances in research and technology allowed physicians to diagnose and treat fetal complications in utero, whereas previously, obstetricians could only rely on heart rate monitoring and maternal reports of fetal movement.
