• Home
• About Us
  • Dr. Hurley
  • Dr. Gonzalez
  • Our Staff
  • Contact Us
• What We Do
• Map/Directions
• Referrals
• Links
• Patient Forms
  • Patient Questionnaire
• Patient Survey

Fetal transfusions

In some occasions the baby may develop anemia in utero. One of the most common reasons for this is when the mother develops antibodies against the baby's blood. The only option to save the baby may be to perform and intrauterine fetal transfusion.

In this procedure, the doctor will use the ultrasound machine to look for the baby's blood vessels running in the umbilical cord. A needle is inserted into the small vessel and if necessary blood products are given.

The procedure is technically difficult as the baby's blood vessels are small and sometimes located in an area not easily accessible. This procedure is done at the hospital and under maternal sedation. The doctors at Pinon Perinatal are trained and have extensive experience in performing fetal transfusions.