Each year there are improvements in technology as it relates to ultrasound equipment. These improvements are in color flow doppler and cardiac imaging to name a few. The current equipment used in our Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic has not kept up with these technology advances.

Our clinic is asked to diagnose fetal abnormalities. Many of these are cardiac abnormalities. Newer equipment has cardiac software that is much more advanced than what we currently employ and would make diagnosis of more complex congenital heart defects more readily available before referral to a pediatric cardiologist with the delay involved.

There is an obesity epidemic. All our patients are at high risk, and many have diabetes, hypertension and similar co-morbidities which come with BMIs of 40 or higher. Newer machines have the capability to better image women with increased BMI than the current equipment we have although we do the best, we can with some risk for injury to the imager including carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff injury, and back injury.

This new equipment will not only increase better outcomes for our patients, but would allow keeping our patients local and not having to drive out of town to get a better quality scan done.

For more information about helping Children's Miracle Network fund this item, please contact Stacey Selk at 712-279-3295.