What is Perinatology?

What is Perinatology?

Perinatology identifies high-risk pregnancies. It is a branch of science that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the baby in the womb. The main purpose of perinatology is to identify risky situations that occur during pregnancy, follow the pregnancy accordingly and apply the necessary treatment.
This includes risk analysis of individuals before, during and after pregnancy, diagnosis of many fetus-mother related conditions before birth, implementation of treatment and follow-up plans, application of harmful tissue formations when necessary, and treatment of dangerous or problematic pregnancies during pregnancy, at the time of birth and after birth. Perinatology is composed of secondary specialists, skilled allied health personnel and patient counselors.

Perinatology "High Risk Pregnancy" Specialization

Specialists in this field are called perinatologists. A perinatologist is a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology. After specializing in this department, they are trained in perinatology, that is, risky pregnancy specialization as an upper department. In other words, just like internal medicine specialists, they have more knowledge and experience in hematology, oncology, etc. as they are secondary field specialists. The perinatology department is also a branch of science that includes advanced parts related to pregnancy.
This upper specialization continues for 3 years. In this training, they increase their knowledge and experience in the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of risky pregnancies. After three years, they become high-risk pregnancy specialists, i.e. perinatologists.

What is a Risky Pregnancy? What are the risks for mother and baby?

Anything that is dangerous for the mother and baby during pregnancy is considered a high-risk pregnancy. If there is a negative risk for the course of the disease for the pregnant woman or her baby, this situation should be evaluated by a risky pregnancy specialist, i.e. a perinatologist.
First of all, it is important how old the pregnant mother is. Pregnant women under 18 years of age are referred to as adolescent pregnant women. In a young adolescent pregnancy; the risk of having problems during pregnancy and childbirth is quite high. Pregnancies over the age of 35 are also more likely to have miscarriages, increased blood pressure during pregnancy, gestational diabetes and abnormal chromosome counts in babies. Pregnancy hypertension and pregnancy poisoning are more common, especially in an overweight person. Diseases such as epilepsy, heart, lung and liver diseases, kidney problems in pregnant women pose an increased risk during pregnancy. Infections during pregnancy are dangerous for both mother and baby. Operations that the pregnant woman has undergone are important.

Perinatology in Diagnosis and Treatment of Risky Pregnancies

A risky pregnancy is a pregnancy in which there is a risk to the life of the expectant mother and the baby or the mother or the baby. If the pregnancy has a negative risk, it should be checked by a pregnancy specialist. In risky pregnancies, there may be problems with the expectant mother, the baby or the placenta. Therefore, the pregnancy periods of experienced individuals should be followed. Perinatology specialist or perinatologist deals with pregnancies that involve risks related to the diagnosis and treatment process of pregnancies.
A high-risk pregnancy specialist receives three more years of training after becoming an obstetrician. Individuals who are likely to have a high-risk pregnancy are individuals who had a dangerous pregnancy in the past, individuals who have problems in their current pregnancy, dangers that develop in the usual situation of the expectant mother, dangers related to childbirth and risks involving the baby. Proper follow-up before and during pregnancy reduces complications at birth.

What are the medical conditions and diseases related to perinatology?

Conditions related to perinatology are early diagnosis and treatment processes applied to prevent unhealthy events that may happen to the baby before and after pregnancy and during the puerperium. Perinatology, as a specialty branch that adopts the well-being of the expectant mother and the baby, aims to take the necessary precautions against the dangers that may develop during pregnancy.
A high-risk pregnancy, also known as a high-risk pregnancy, is a pregnancy that has an additional condition in early pregnancy or during pregnancy, or that poses a risk of miscarriage or a risk of disability in the baby. The classification of these risks is as follows;

  • The usual risks carried by the mother
  • Dangers during previous pregnancies
  • Possible dangers associated with the baby
  • Risks during labor and delivery
  • Dangers after childbirth

If there is anything abnormal that a pregnant person may experience during this time, it can be recognized in time by perinatology physicians. However, these dangers can be reduced with the usual controls to be applied.

What are Perinatal Procedures?

Perinatology department deals with mother and baby health. In this department, procedures such as evaluation of the baby's growth and development stage at 28-32 weeks of pregnancy and late infant anomaly examination, diagnosis and management of structural infant anomalies, diagnosis and management of infectious diseases, diagnosis and management of hereditary disorders.

What is High Pregnancy Risk?

A high-risk or high-risk pregnancy is a pregnancy in which the mother has an additional condition before/during pregnancy, or in which tests show a risk of miscarriage or disability. Expectant mothers who have some disease before pregnancy; pregnant women who have heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, epilepsy, thyroid problems or any other disease fall into the category of high-risk pregnancy.

Which Patients Does Perinatology and High-Risk Pregnancy Care for?

Perinatology and high-risk pregnancies are aimed at timely screening, early diagnosis and treatment of adverse conditions that may occur in the mother or baby during the puerperium, which is the period before and after pregnancy. The follow-up of patients in this group is carried out in this department.

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CreatorNP Istanbul Hospital Editorial Board
Updated At05 March 2024
Created At26 October 2022
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