About the Department of Obstetrics at Charite University Hospital Berlin

According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Obstetrics at the Charite University Hospital Berlin is one of the best medical facilities of its kind in Germany!

The department offers comprehensive pregnancy management – highly accurate prenatal diagnostics, safe childbirth, and high-quality postnatal care for both mother and newborn. The department enjoys the status of a Level I Perinatal Center, which confirms exceptional expertise in its field and compliance with the highest international standards. The physicians have extensive experience in the management of high-risk and multiple pregnancies and work closely with specialists in related fields, including gynecologists, neonatologists, pediatric cardiologists, surgeons, neurosurgeons, and oral and maxillofacial surgeons. The department is equipped with state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment for pregnancy screening in each trimester and for invasive intrauterine interventions. Childbirth takes place in modern delivery rooms equipped with a variety of auxiliary devices, including special birthing baths. Obstetricians specialize in all modern forms of childbirth: natural childbirth, outpatient childbirth, water birth, and cesarean section. The main priority of the doctors is to provide the best care in a pleasant atmosphere, taking into account the individual needs of each woman. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Wolfgang Henrich.

The department has an advanced Prenatal Diagnostic Center certified by the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (DEGUM III). All modern diagnostic services for pregnancy monitoring are available here: ultrasound screening of all trimesters, fetal echocardiography and Doppler ultrasound, non-invasive prenatal testing, and other examinations. If fetal developmental abnormalities are suspected, the following invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures are used: chorionic villus sampling (puncture of the placenta), amniocentesis (puncture of the amniotic membrane), and cordocentesis (puncture of the umbilical cord to collect lymphocytes and study their genome). These invasive studies allow clinicians to identify chromosomal abnormalities even at the stage of intrauterine development. All procedures are performed under ultrasound guidance, which ensures their safety for both mother and fetus.

The specialists of the Prenatal Diagnostic Center also perform intrauterine therapy. For example, if fetal anemia is detected (a decrease in the number of red blood cells below the norm), blood is transfused into the umbilical vein through a puncture of the mother's anterior abdominal wall, usually at the base of the placenta. In the case of polyhydramnios (excessive accumulation of amniotic fluid), amniotic fluid drainage procedure is performed.

The medical team of the department is one of the few in Germany with many years of experience in the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a serious complication of multiple monochorionic pregnancy caused by the formation of arteriovenous anastomoses in the common placenta of twins. With timely recognition of TTTS and effective therapy, the chances of pregnancy preservation reach 90%. For the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, the modern method of fetoscopic laser coagulation is used, in which the placental anastomoses are destroyed by a special laser. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia and ultrasound guidance. To date, this is the only effective method for treating severe forms of TTTS.

An important area of work for the obstetricians of the department is the management of pregnancies in women with diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, preeclampsia, infectious diseases, and breech presentation of the fetus. The specialists have all the necessary professional skills and technical capabilities to provide qualified medical care in these pathological conditions.

The department's delivery rooms are equipped according to modern medical standards and have everything necessary for safe childbirth in a comfortable environment. The department specializes in natural childbirth, outpatient childbirth, water childbirth, vacuum extraction, and cesarean section. The delivery rooms have various aids to facilitate childbirth: fitballs, special birthing chairs, Swedish walls, and other devices. The team of obstetricians offers various modern methods of pain relief, ranging from epidural anesthesia to acupuncture and aromatherapy.

The main areas of the department's clinical practice are as follows:

• Prenatal diagnostics and treatment
  • Diagnostic examinations
    • Non-invasive examinations
      • I, II and III trimester ultrasound screening
      • Fetal echocardiography
      • Fetal Doppler
      • Non-invasive prenatal testing
    • Invasive examinations
      • Chorionic villus sampling
      • Amniocentesis
      • Cordocentesis
  • Therapeutic procedures
    • Blood transfusion for fetal anemia
    • Amniotic drainage
    • Transplacental therapy for fetal tachycardia and bradycardic arrhythmias
    • Fetoscopic laser coagulation for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
• Pregnancy management in women with diabetes mellitus
• Pregnancy management in women with arterial hypertension
• Pregnancy management in women with preeclampsia
• Pregnancy management in women with concomitant pathology
  • Congenital or acquired heart disease, heart rhythm disturbances
  • Endocrine diseases: diabetes mellitus and thyroid pathologies
  • Neurological disorders: multiple sclerosis and epilepsy
  • Autoimmune and rheumatic diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease
  • Kidney diseases: patients on dialysis, after kidney transplant
  • Blood diseases and blood clotting disorders: thrombocytopenia and thrombophilia
• Pregnancy management in women with infectious diseases
  • HIV
  • Hepatitis
  • Cytomegalovirus
  • Toxoplasmosis
  • Rubella
• Childbirth
  • Natural childbirth
  • Ambulatory childbirth
  • Water childbirth
  • Vacuum extraction
  • Caesarean section
• Comprehensive postnatal care for both mother and newborn baby
• Other medical services