What is Maternal-Fetal Medicine?

Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) is a subspecialty of Obstetrics and Gynecology dealing with all matters that can affect the health of a mother or fetus from before conception to the postpartum period. Physicians who practice Maternal-Fetal Medicine are obstetrician/gynecologists who have received additional training, and performed research, in the care and management of pregnant women and fetuses.  

Maternal-Fetal Medicine was first recognized as a subspecialty of obstetrics and gynecology in 1974, but the scientific advances leading to the emergence of this new medical field were made in the 1950s and 60s. The advent of medical ultrasound gave obstetricians a window through which to observe the behavior and development of the fetus.  Amniocentesis, coupled with cytogenetics and later, molecular biology, made possible the diagnosis of many fetal conditions, even early in pregnancy. Fetal monitoring allowed evaluation for fetal well-being in late pregnancy and during labor, allowing physicians to intervene on behalf of the fetus. Techniques for safely entering the uterus with needles and various instruments allowed other forms of diagnosis and, in some instances, treatment of the fetus.  

By the early 1970s there was no denying that the fetus had become a patient in his or her own right. At the same time it was becoming increasingly clear that the appropriate management of many maternal medical and surgical conditions could improve the health of the fetus. All of these advances led to a growing group of obstetrician/gynecologists who were limiting their work to the needs of mothers and fetuses in complicated pregnancies.  In 1974 certification in the subspecialty of Maternal-Fetal Medicine was granted by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  

Today, MFM specialists are involved in guiding the management of medical and surgical complications that a mother may encounter during pregnancy.  MFM specialists also provide diagnosis and management of medical and surgical conditions of the fetus. Care may include in utero treatment, modification of delivery timing or delivery mode, and facilitation and coordination of care for the infant after delivery.  

Many MFM physicians are also involved in planning and executing research in a wide variety of areas affecting the health of mothers and fetuses. In so doing, they are steadily contributing to a body of knowledge that is improving the outcome of pregnancy for mothers and infants throughout the world.  

Regrettably, many MFM physicians support, or even participate in, feticide through the provision of induced abortion. As pro-life Maternal-Fetal Medicine physicians we believe that this is diametrically opposed to the entire ethos of our medical specialty, which developed specifically to provide care for maternal and fetal patients.  Accordingly, we have joined together to declare our responsibility for the full protection and care of mother and fetus in every pregnancy.