Inova Brock Family Antenatal Testing Center

The Inova Brock Family Antenatal Testing Center provides specialized care for pregnancies that are at risk for maternal, fetal or obstetric complications. Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists, known as perinatologists, work as a team with our staff of expert perinatal nurses. Together, they assist obstetricians or nurse-midwives by offering specialized services and compassionate care to mothers and their unborn babies, from pre-pregnancy counseling through delivery. The center uses state-of-the-art technology in a comfortable and private setting to assist:

• Prospective parents seeking genetic counseling and/or genetic testing
• Pregnant women who need comprehensive diagnostic tests to determine the health of their babies
• Women whose pregnancies are considered high risk

What makes a pregnancy high risk?

A woman's pregnancy may be considered high risk because of a pre-existing condition such as diabetes or hypertension. Older mothers and women with multiple pregnancies are also considered high risk. Some women are healthy when they become pregnant but experience complications caused by pregnancy. Some parents pass on a genetic disorder and develop a baby with an inherited or growth abnormality. The Inova Brock Family Antenatal Testing Center provides genetic counseling. Genetic counseling can help a woman understand the implications of age, complications in previous pregnancies or current health problems.

Our work with high-risk mothers and their primary obstetrician or nurse-midwife to monitor the health of both mother and baby. The staff’s goal is to keep risk levels as low as possible and work toward the birth of a healthy baby. Specialized services include:

• High-risk obstetric consultations
• Level II obstetric ultrasound
• Genetic counseling/pre-pregnancy
• Counseling
• Genetic amniocentesis
• Prenatal diagnostic procedures
• Antepartum testing
• Nonstress testing
• Biophysical profile
• High-risk inpatient consultations
• In-utero fetal procedures
• Fetal blood sampling
• Fetal transfusion

Videos: Meet our physicians

Meet Dr. Poggi

A maternal-fetal medicine specialist, Dr. Poggi treats patients at the Brock Family Perinatal Diagnostic Center.

Meet Dr. Ghidini

Alessandro Ghidini, MD is one of our Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialists. He cares for mothers of high risk perinatal patients.

Videos: Hear from our patients

Holly's story

Holly is a patient whose first pregnancy included several complications including EA/TEF, a rare esophageal syndrome, as well as umbilical cord dysfunction. During her second pregnancy, a rare tumor was discovered that required a well-timed surgery to get the tumor out before the fetus got too large. This video takes you on the emotional journey of Holly's successful childbirth, with a strong collaborative effort between many pediatric and surgical specialists including surgeon Gordon Hafner and antenatal specialist Sarah Poggi.

Kristin's story

Kristin's first pregnancy was filled with complications and a concern that her son, diagnosed with the rare condition Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia (NAIT), would not survive. Her successive pregnancies included risks of NAIT, spontaneous preterm delivery and several other concerns. Thanks to the expert plan of care designed by Dr. Poggi and implemented by the Inova Alexandria Hospital antenatal team, Kristen is now a mom of three healthy children.

Videos: Watch our expert talks on prenatal genetic tests and high risk pregnancy

Update on Prenatal Genetic Tests and Care for High Risk Obstetric Patients

Dr. Sarah Poggi gives an update on advances in prenatal testing. This lecture includes information about prenatal single gene deletion carrier testing; non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using cell-free DNA; and microarray analysis.

What Makes a Pregnancy “High Risk”?

This hour-long lecture addresses important topics on maternal fetal medicine and pregnancy after age 35.