Fetal medicine, or maternal–fetal medicine (MFM), also known as perinatology, is a branch of medicine that focuses on managing health concerns of the mother and fetus prior to, during, and shortly after pregnancy.

The difference between an obstetrician and an MFM specialist

Maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) is a subspecialty of obstetrics with an additional three years of training to learn how to treat fetal problems while the baby is still in the womb or medical complications that are related to pregnancy. Most perinatal ultrasound is interpreted by specialists in fetal medicine (MFM specialists).

Why should you see an MFM specialist before pregnancy?

In case of a pre-existing medical condition, such as diabetes or hypertension, an MFM specialist can help you reduce the risk of fetal anomalies by controlling your blood sugar and using advanced technologies and techniques to monitor your baby’s growth or, in case of multiple gestations, monitoring the pregnancy by performing additional ultrasounds. In case of genetic risks, an MFM specialist will recommend you preconception genetic screening.

MFM specialists play a vital role during pregnancy. They act both as a consultant working closely with pregnant women and their primary obstetricians to address complications and optimize the health of both the mother and the fetus during lower-risk pregnancies and as the primary obstetrician in especially high-risk pregnancies.

Fetal medicine and treatment

Some examples of care that we offer as MFM specialists are:

  • All the prenatal blood tests, genetic tests, and ultrasound scans
  • Invasive diagnostic tests, such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sample (CVS)
  • Screening and treatment to prevent preterm birth
  • Monitoring of pregnancies where a severe problem affects the baby’s growth
  • Research to improve the treatment of fetal abnormalities
  • Techniques for fetal therapy, such as blood transfusions into the umbilical cord or endoscopic surgery in the uterus…

Bringing Fetal Medicine to Greece

Petros Nikolaidis is a renowned specialist in fetal medicine, a perinatologist, and a professor of obstetrics and genetics at the University of West Attica, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology with a focus on high-risk pregnancy at Imperial College, London.

Returning to Greece, Petros Nikolaidis founded the first Fetal Medicine Unit at “Mitera” Maternity Hospital, Athens (1990). at the “Mitera” Maternity Clinic, a Panhellenic reference center for fetal ultrasound. He was also the first to introduce all the new prenatal fetal tests.

Some years later, he founded “Embryoitriki-genetiki” in Maroussi, a leading fetal medicine and genetics diagnostic center, which expanded into a growing network of fetal and gynecological screenings in several cities. At the same time, he collaborated with State Maternity Clinics and sent his students for internships in hospitals throughout the country.

Today, “Embryoitriki-genetiki” is equipped with the most modern 3D color ultrasound machines, the Voluson S8™ ultrasound scanner, and is supported by a fully equipped genetics laboratory.