Maternal-Fetal Medicine Telehealth

A high-risk pregnancy carries potential health challenges for you and your baby. That’s why you need quick, convenient access to experts during high-risk pregnancies as you prepare for a new addition to your family. UK HealthCare offers a program that combines high-risk obstetrics and telehealth (also known as telemedicine). This program allows you to visit a clinic close to home for virtual consultations with an OB-GYN specializing in the care of high-risk patients.

Through the UK HealthCare Maternal-Fetal Medicine Telehealth program, we’re making it easier for pregnant women throughout Kentucky to get advanced, comprehensive care. By participating in telemedicine prenatal care, you can stay in your home community and still receive exceptional care from our high-risk OB-GYNs via live video. Also known as maternal-fetal medicine, these physicians are skilled in diagnosing and treating patients with complicated pregnancies. 

What Is a High-Risk Pregnancy?

A pregnancy may be considered high-risk based on factors that could jeopardize the health of the mother or baby, including:

  • Advanced maternal age (35 or older)
  • Alcohol or illicit drug use
  • Fetal abnormalities, such as congenital heart defects
  • Having previously given birth before the 37th week of pregnancy
  • Health conditions that can develop during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes
  • Multiple gestation, such as twins or triplets
  • Preexisting health conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity
  • Smoking

If your regular OB-GYN deems your pregnancy high-risk, he or she can refer you to UK HealthCare for fetal telemedicine appointments.

How High-Risk Obstetrics Telehealth Appointments Works

UK HealthCare ultrasound technologists travel to locations throughout Kentucky to perform fetal ultrasounds, a key component of care for high-risk pregnancies. We offer appointments at least twice monthly at each location so high-risk patients can receive the close attention they need.

During a telemedicine prenatal care appointment, you will:

  • Undergo a fetal ultrasound, which will allow a maternal-fetal medicine specialist to check your baby’s development
  • Use a portable video conference device to speak with a UK HealthCare maternal-fetal medicine specialist in Lexington, who will review the ultrasound images during your appointment and discuss the results with you

Make an appointment

For more information about our high-risk obstetrics and telehealth program, call 859-323-0430.

To make an appointment for telemedicine prenatal care, call any of these Kentucky locations.