Saint Peter's Opens New Perinatal Center

Editor's Note: The following information is a press release from Saint Peter's University Hospital.

Saint Peter's University Hospital has launched a redesigned and expanded perinatal center that combines maternal-fetal medicine and antenatal testing services in a new state-of-the-art facility at its New Brunswick campus.

Saint Peter’s University Hospital became a Level III perinatal center in 1973, was the region’s first state-designated regional perinatal center in 1992, and is nationally recognized for those services. There are more than 500 low-birth-weight babies delivered at Saint Peter's each year and more than 2,200 high-risk obstetrics clinic visits per year. Liam Ness, MD, is director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Saint Peter’s.

“We are licensed and equipped to manage the most complicated pregnancies and most medically fragile newborns,” said Edwin Guzman, MD, interim chair of the Department of OB/GYN. “Our maternal-fetal medicine program provides advanced diagnostic testing and high-risk pre- and postnatal care. Our team includes high-risk perinatal physicians, a geneticist, a perinatal pathologist, perinatal nurses, pediatric surgeons, ultrasonographers, neonatologists, diabetes care and control specialists, and other high-risk support specialists. And our patients can be seen in this ultra-modern care setting.”

Services include:
Perinatal Emergency Triage and Treatment Unit — The eight-bed unit serves as an "emergency room" for pregnant women. Patients admitted to this unit are cared for by OB/GYN physicians and OB nurses who are experts in managing pregnancy complications.

High-Risk Antepartum Unit — Pregnant women with chronic medical conditions or complex pregnancies are admitted to this 34-bed unit for observation and treatment in an attempt to bring troubled pregnancies as close to term as possible.

Antenatal Testing Unit — The unit provides advanced ultrasound testing and interventional procedures, including:

• Third-trimester ultrasound screening for chromosomal abnormalities
• 3-D ultrasound screening
• Amniocentesis
• Chorionic villus sampling
• Fetal cardiovascular evaluation
• Fetal surveillance  

Institute for Genetic Medicine — Provides pre- and postnatal counseling, testing and treatment.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit — For babies born prematurely or with special medical needs.

Infant and Pregnancy Loss Evaluation Service — Offers diagnostic services and treatment to couples who have lost multiple pregnancies. Of the women who are treated at Saint Peter’s, 80 percent carry a healthy baby to term.

Infant Prematurity Assessment and Prevention Program — Offers diagnoses and treatment to prevent premature birth.

Through an affiliation with Columbia University Medical Center, Saint Peter's University Hospital is the only hospital in New Jersey to be part of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. This network, created by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, focuses on clinical questions in maternal-fetal medicine and obstetrics, particularly with respect to the continuing problem of preterm birth.

“The network is a cutting-edge resource,” said Marian Lake, MFM nurse manager, “enabling Saint Peter’s to offer the most up-to-date, best care that is available in today’s science for the health and well-being of women, their children and their families.”