Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit

The Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit treats pregnant women at high risk for complications during labor and delivery, including treatment of inpatients in the gynecology ward at 24 to 42 weeks of pregnancy when due to maternal or fetal condition, supervision and treatment by specialists in this field is required. The diagnosis, treatment, support and care provided by the unit may reduce childhood complications and lead to better childhood results.

Conditions treated in the ward include threat of preterm delivery, preeclampsia, chronic hypertension, gestational and pre-gestational diabetes, multiple pregnancies, bleeding, preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), intrauterine growth restriction, and fetal malformations. In addition, patients hospitalized in the unit include women waiting for childbirth due to contractions / water loss on time, women who are waiting for a caesarean section and women admitted for labor induction.
In the unit, doctors, midwives and nurses monitor and assess the patient's medical condition, review her obstetric past, assess the fetal condition and decide on continuation of hospitalization and/or further tests in accordance with her condition.

 
Moreover, as needed and according to the reason for hospitalization, patients receive medical consultations from different departments / units. In addition, the unit offers guidance concerning pregnancy complications and their consequences for the mother and fetus, the nature of the follow-up and recommended treatment.

In addition to the professional medical treatment, during hospitalization, patients receive instruction on a variety of topics related to pregnancy in order to improve their preparation for childbirth and after, including:
- Physiotherapy, accompanied by guidance on proper physical activity during pregnancy;
- Yoga classes and pelvic floor physiotherapy classes;
- Nutrition by a dietitian who guides the patients, performs menu adjustments and nutrition evaluation;
- Supportive care by the social service staff at the discretion of the department staff, and in accordance with emotional evaluation.

The nurses and midwives in the ward, specialize in treating high-risk pregnant women. Most of the nurses are graduates of a midwifery course as well as a clinical training course, a high-risk pregnancy course and a neonatal resuscitation course. The nursing staff assists patients in case of need for pain relief, in adapting to the new situation, and by providing tools to deal with the consequences of hospitalization. The staff supports, accompanies and respects the different attitudes, beliefs and values of each patient and her family members. In addition, social workers are available to patients and their families for support and counseling.

The unit's medical and nursing staff participate in research related to high-risk pregnancies. In addition, the unit teaches instructs students from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University during their clinical rotations at the medical center. Further, the nursing team headed by the clinical instructors, is a fertile field of study for nursing students.