SPECIAL FEATURE
Maternal Fetal Medicine at Akron Children's
Expert Guidance for High-Risk Pregnancies By Alex Strauss W
ITH THE EXCEPTION of a few bumps along the way, most pregnancies follow a smooth path
from conception to delivery. But almost a third of pregnant women experience road blocks serious enough to be clas- sified 'high risk.' For these women, the Akron Children's Hospital Maternal Fetal Medicine Center and the D. Gary Benfield, MD, Fetal Treatment Center provide the expertise to guide them through the complexities of pre-con- ception planning, prenatal diagnosis and high-risk pregnancy care. Staffed by physicians with advanced
training and clinical experience in high-risk obstetric problems, Akron Children's Maternal Fetal Medicine and Fetal Treatment centers combine specialty maternal services with advanced diagnostic tools, such as targeted ultrasonography, fetal echo- cardiology, fetal MRI, genetic disease screening and genetic counseling. "Indications that may send preg-
Stephen S. Crane, MD, FACOG, MBA, is director of Akron Children's Maternal Fetal Medicine Center, where he's part of a team of four MFM specialists.
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nant women to our center include preexisting medical conditions such as chronic hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, endocrine disorders or neurologic disease," explains Stephen S. Crane, MD, FACOG, MBA, direc- tor of Akron Children's Maternal Fetal Medicine Center and associate professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northeast Ohio Medical University. "Many of our referred patients are expectant mothers over 35, are carrying multiples, or are at risk for preterm labor." Fetal problems that may t r ig- ger a referral include structural
