Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
1 Robert Wood Johnson Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-235-8006

The mission of the Fetal Wellness Center is to provide the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art fetal evaluation and therapy services in the state of New Jersey and one of the best in the country. The Fetal Wellness Center provides ultrasound evaluation for pregnant women whose primary physician's office lacks the ability to perform this (and other) important tests. Information is quickly relayed to the treating physician, so that he or she can manage the pregnancy in the most optimal fashion. The three main elements of the mission are high-quality care, research and education. A wide variety of fetal procedures are also carried out, including targeted sonography to assess fetal anomalies, non-stress tests, biophysical profiles, Doppler velocimetry, fetal echocardiography, percutaneous umbilical blood sampling, chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis, fetal surgery and first-trimester nuchal translucency combined screening.

Special Services

The core component of the Fetal Wellness Center is the Antenatal Testing Unit (ATU) at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, which is staffed with maternal-fetal medicine faculty members. In addition, our sonographers cover five examination rooms equipped with state-of-the-art ultrasound machines with color flow Doppler and 3D/4D imaging capabilities. More than 12,000 fetal examinations are performed each year, with a significant portion of the examinations performed on patients referred from regional hospitals and physicians.

All ATU activities are under the direction of Division Chief Todd Rosen, MD. The specific criteria for faculty participation include: a) license to practice medicine in the state of New Jersey, b) completion of an approved maternal-fetal medicine fellowship, c) full-time employment with the division of maternal-fetal medicine and d) experience in performing fetal ultrasound examinations and procedures. The specific criteria for sonographers' participation include: a) Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer status or registry-eligible, and b) at least one year of experience in fetal ultrasonography.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
1 Robert Wood Johnson Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 732-235-8006

The division of maternal-fetal medicine is one of the few facilities in the United States to apply ultrasound to detect Down syndrome early in pregnancy. The examiner must possess a very high level of analytic expertise to identify certain subtle characteristics exhibited by fetuses with Down syndrome. Many regional hospitals and physicians refer patients for this service.

Special Services

The program is appropriate for women whose physicians have recommended amniocentesis but who are reluctant to undergo the procedure for fear of fetal loss or because they want more information first. Among these women, the amniocentesis rate is approximately 10 percent. The overwhelming majority of fetuses with Down syndrome (85 percent) are detected through this ultrasound method.

Candidates include women over 35 and those of any age whose serum tests indicate an increased risk for Down syndrome. The ultrasound scans are performed at the same time as a typical amniocentesis: at 18 to 21 weeks of gestation, with the optimum time being 19-20 weeks.

The High-Risk Pregnancy Evaluation and Consultation Service offers patients and physicians many advantages. Consultation is provided for high-risk pregnancy patients who will deliver at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital or any of the maternity hospitals throughout central and southern New Jersey. The patient's private physician appreciates having highly expert backup available. The resulting collaborative co-management of patients provides a continuity of care throughout pregnancy.

Special Services

• Provides access to a wide range of maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists associated with the department
• Improves outcomes and lowers long-term costs by means of ongoing preventive care
• Builds private physicians' confidence in managing high-risk patients
• Enhances communication between hospital faculty and attending physicians in the community
• Avoids duplication of services

The Maternal-Fetal Medicine Program provides comprehensive care of, as well as consultation services for, the pregnant woman and her unborn baby. The division is nationally prominent, consisting of fully trained maternal-fetal medicine specialists. State-of-the-art modalities for both diagnosis and therapy are available with a full array of pediatric medical and surgical subspecialties.

Available antepartum tests include targeted ultrasound, fetal echocardiography and M-mode cardiography, 3D/4D ultrasound, Doppler flow studies of maternal and fetal blood vessels, funicentesis, amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling. The testing is performed conveniently for the pregnant woman, with the evaluation of the tests, diagnosis and decisions for therapy made by a well-coordinated team of specialists. Patients may then be referred back to their primary physicians or co-managed for the pregnancy and delivery with the referring physicians. Total care for extremely high-risk pregnancies may be provided directly by the maternal-fetal medicine specialist. After delivery the babies are taken care of, if necessary, by neonatologists in the large, well-equipped Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Special Services

• Care and management of high-risk obstetrics
• Fetal therapy and surgery
• Consultations for complications of mother or fetus
• Comprehensive prenatal diagnosis program

The section of perinatal genetics is a comprehensive service focusing on the evaluation, diagnosis and management of pregnancies with suspected birth defects, chromosome abnormalities, hereditary disorders and metabolic conditions during pregnancy. The Division of Medical Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics provides services to infants, children and adults with genetic concerns.

The division is professionally staffed with a medical geneticist and master's-level trained, board-certified/board-eligible genetic counselors. As a part of the division of maternal-fetal medicine, we provide close collaboration with high-risk obstetricians and antepartum testing, ensuring coordinated care. Collaborative efforts between genetics, maternal-fetal medicine, neonatology and pediatric specialists, as well as primary care providers, improve pregnancy management and neonatal outcomes by permitting earlier diagnosis and therapeutic intervention for a variety of fetal birth defects and genetic disorders. More Info

Phone: 732-235-6630

Experiencing a miscarriage or fetal loss can be a devastating event that may have a long-lasting impact on a woman, the expectant couple and their families. It is common to have questions and doubts:

• Why did this happen?


• Will it happen again?


• What, if anything, can be done to prevent it from happening again?

Our Pregnancy Loss and Pre-Term Delivery Evaluation Service (PLES) is designed to provide patients with answers to some of these difficult questions, and — if risk factors are identified — can serve as an opportunity to optimize maternal health and possibly improve future pregnancy outcomes.

Our comprehensive evaluation process includes an initial telephone intake, a consultation with a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine, along with genetic counseling and additional studies, if required; and a follow-up visit in which a clearly outlined plan and options for future pregnancies are developed and discussed.

For patient referral or more information, please call 732-235-6630. For provider inquiries, email questions and comments to ashkinel@rutgers.edu.

The Preterm Birth Evaluation and Prevention Service is a comprehensive program designed to meet the needs of women who have had one or more preterm births. The service is directed by a team of physicians who are full-time faculty of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Our main goal is to offer a comprehensive investigation and evaluation of the factors that may have caused the preterm birth in the first place. Since treatments are known for some of the causes of preterm birth, appropriate treatment before and/or during subsequent pregnancies may prevent another preterm birth.