Educational clinical resource
Preparing records for a fetal therapy case review
A practical checklist for families and clinicians sending fetal imaging, pregnancy dating, laboratory, genetic, and referral information for review.
- 01Fetal transfusion
- 02TTTS laser
- 03FETO
- 04Shunts & drainage
How to navigate Preparing records for a fetal therapy case review
An educational path from the first question to the next step. It does not replace individual assessment.
- 01State the trigger
Give the diagnosis, scan finding, symptom, or clinical question driving referral.
- 02Send the essentials
Include dating, reports, images, results, history, medications, and contact details.
- 03Set the urgency
Separate emergency assessment, time-sensitive specialist review, and planned consultation.
- 04Choose the pathway
Direct the case to diagnostics, multidisciplinary review, or the treatment hub.
- 05Close the loop
Confirm receipt, next action, responsible team, and advice while waiting.
A fetal therapy case review is faster and more reliable when the team receives the original evidence, the precise clinical question, and a timeline. A photographed report without images may not show the feature that determines urgency or technical feasibility.
Essential pregnancy information
Include the patient’s full name and contact details through the approved secure route, the estimated due date, gestational age, earliest dating scan, gravida and parity, relevant previous pregnancy outcomes, maternal conditions, medications, allergies, blood group, antibody status, and current symptoms.
State where the patient is now, which hospital is providing current care, and whether admission, transfer, delivery, or a repeat scan is already planned.
Imaging
Send the current report and original DICOM images or complete cine loops whenever possible. Include earlier examinations that show whether the finding is stable or progressing. The imaging set should document fetal anatomy, placenta, cord insertion, cervix when relevant, amniotic fluid, Doppler, and any condition-specific measurements.
For monochorionic twins, include chorionicity, deepest vertical pocket for each sac, bladder filling, growth, umbilical artery, middle cerebral artery, and ductus venosus findings. For suspected anaemia, include middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity and hydrops assessment. For a fluid collection, include size, side, compression, cardiac position, and progression.
Laboratory and genetics
Have screening and diagnostic genetic results, infection serology with sample dates, fetal infection tests, maternal antibody reports and trends, and relevant blood counts or chemistry ready. Include the laboratory name and method when interpretation depends on it. The team will coordinate how required records are transferred after making contact.
The referral question
Write one or two sentences explaining what you need the receiving team to decide. Examples include whether urgent reassessment is required, whether an invasive diagnostic test is appropriate, whether the condition meets criteria for a fetal intervention assessment, or which centre should provide delivery and neonatal care.
Emergency boundary
Do not delay emergency assessment while assembling records. Heavy bleeding, severe pain, rupture of membranes, maternal collapse, severe hypertension symptoms, breathing difficulty, or reduced fetal movements needs immediate local care. Records can follow once the patient is stable and clinician-to-clinician transfer is being coordinated.