High-Risk Pregnancy

New Patient Appointment or 214-645-8300

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) physician specialists have the experience and expertise to manage the most complex high-risk pregnancies.

We provide a full range of services to address inherited conditions, underlying health problems, and complications that develop during pregnancy.

What Are High-Risk Pregnancies?

A high-risk pregnancy can result from a preexisting chronic health condition or from a health condition that develops during pregnancy in either the mother or the unborn baby.

Maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) is a subspeciality of Ob/Gyn. MFM physicians specialize in the care of women with high-risk pregnancies and support mothers and their babies during and after high-risk pregnancies, giving newborns the best possible start in life.

We’re recognized throughout North Texas for the care and management of women with complicated pregnancies. At UT Southwestern, we’re more than a maternal-fetal medicine practice – we’re a university health system that offers pregnant women quick access to a wide range of adult and pediatric subspecialists.

Our physicians are available to:

Provide consultations for women with certain risk factors
Manage care for moms with complex medical problems, such as congenital heart disease, cancer, or pulmonary hypertension
Manage care for women whose fetus has complex congenital abnormalities

What Are the Risk Factors for High-Risk Pregnancy?

Certain factors can lead to a high-risk pregnancy, such as:

Advanced maternal age (35 or older)
Lifestyle choices, such as tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drug use
Chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cystic fibrosis, lupus, obesity, breathing problems such as poorly controlled asthma, and blood-clotting disorders
Previous surgeries, such as multiple C-sections, multiple abdominal surgeries, or surgery on the uterus, such as uterine fibroid surgery
Pregnancy complications, such as abnormal placenta position, poor fetal growth, or preterm labor
Multiple pregnancy, such as twins, triplets, or more
Fetal anomalies that impact delivery planning or require urgent specialist care

How Is a High-Risk Pregnancy Managed?

Our MFM physicians work with adult subspecialists at UT Southwestern and neonatologists and pediatric subspecialists from Children’s Health to coordinate care for women with high-risk pregnancies. As a team, we work closely with each woman to decide how to best manage care for her and her baby throughout pregnancy, during delivery, and after birth.

Our high-risk pregnancy services include:

Preconception and prenatal counseling
First-trimester genetic screening
Comprehensive ultrasound screening in facilities certified by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Prenatal diagnostic testing, such as chorionic villous sampling (CVS) and amniocentesis
Maternal-fetal medicine evaluation and consultation for pregnancy complications
Coordination of care among adult and pediatric subspecialists at UT Southwestern and Children’s Health during pregnancy and delivery and after birth
Specialized in utero procedures, such as fetal transfusions and fetal shunt procedures
Genetic counseling to discuss testing options for inherited and sporadic genetic conditions during pregnancy

We also offer free classroom and online prenatal classes on labor and delivery, breastfeeding, and baby care. For patients delivering at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, we offer hospital tours for prospective parents to see where they will go throughout the childbirth process.

Coordinated Care With Community Physicians

Our MFM physicians also work with community-based obstetricians to evaluate and manage complicated pregnancies. Together with adult and pediatric subspecialists, we coordinate any care women and their babies might need while allowing most to continue seeing their primary obstetric provider and deliver at their community hospital.

Should the situation require a complete transfer of care for delivery at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, our MFM physicians are among the few in Dallas who provide total obstetrical care. We welcome referrals locally and from obstetric providers in Texas and surrounding states.

Care for Critically Ill Newborns

Clements University Hospital maintains a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nursery, staffed by neonatology physician specialists and neonatal nurse practitioners. A Level IV NICU at nearby Children’s Health cares for newborns who require surgery soon after birth.

Maternal-Fetal Transport

Our maternal-fetal transport service can assist women who experience complications during labor and delivery. If their doctors determine the baby needs care at a Level IV NICU, the baby can be transported to Children’s Health immediately after birth. There, UT Southwestern faculty coordinate the baby’s care with a team of neonatologists and pediatric surgeons.

Patient Success Stories

When Valorie Butler found out that her unborn child had a health problem, UT Southwestern physicians planned their care and helped her baby develop into a healthy little boy.

Gabriela Benavides developed pulmonary arterial hypertension while she was pregnant. See how UT Southwestern specialists worked together to help her deliver a healthy baby girl.