The Hyderabad-based Fernandez Hospital, a speciality centre for mother and newborn care, is conducting a three day annual continuing medical education (CME) programme on foetal medicine update 2007 from July 6 to 8, at Ravindra Bharati Auditorium in Hyderabad. Over 400 delegates and health care professionals are expected to attend the programme. The programme is ninth in a row.

The programme consists of a live demo workshop on 'foetal echo', symposia on 'foetal skeletal dysplasia' and a continuing medical programme on 'Foetus as a Patient'. Dr Phillip Jeanty, director, Ultrasound Section of Women Health Alliance, USA and Dr Mirta Lanfranchi, specialist in breast imaging from Agentina will be the chief speakers at the symposia.

According to Dr Evita Fernandez, managing director of the hospital, the focus this year is on the foetus as a person and patient. 'The objective is to invite experts in the field to share their expertise with a larger audience. We hope that obstetricians, gynaecologists, radiologists, sonographers, cardiologists with an interest in fetal echo, as well as post-graduate medical students, will avail the opportunity of a close interaction with pioneers in the field and in the process quip themselves better for their work', she said.

The programme is intended to help couples make informed decision while dealing with foetal abnormalities. 'Considering the foetus as patient, helps in reducing the trauma of the mother-to-be on whether she will deliver a healthy, abnormal or premature or a lifeless baby. Under this, thorough obstetric imaging at various periods, certain abnormal features are detected in the foetus and the parents-to-be are counselled on what is the problem, whether this could be improvement, and can it be avoided in next pregnancy,' Dr Geeta, head of Ultrasound and Foetal Medicine Unit, at the hospital.

Dr Suseela Vailala, foetal medicine consultant with the hospitals, said 'foetal medicine deals with growth, development, care and treatment of the foetus and also with environmental factors that might harm foetus. Developments in foetal medicine have a profound effect on how pregnancies are managed and have resulted in the foetus becoming a full-fledged patient in its own way.'

Till 2006-07 the hospital has handled 23000 referral cases of which 254 were found to be abnormal. According to Dr Geeta, majority of the abnormalities in Indian foetus belong to central nervous system (60) followed by GUT (45), cardio vascular (35), skeletal (16), gastrointestinal (15), and 83 other abnormalities. The abnormalities and the numbers are increasing day after day.

To query on exact benefits of foetal medicine, Dr Vailala said 'through prenatal diagnosis amniotic fluid that surrounds the foetus can be derived and sent for analysis. Foetal blood disorders can be detected with this system. This carries 1-2 per cent risk of pregnancy loss and is done only in required cases. There is a possibility that therapeutic uses of amniotic acids can be used to treat the disorders.'